The took the monitor on Saturday to qualify for the seventh race of the 2026 season: the Prepare dinner Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. The session was testy. Drivers wanted to stability nook entry and exit whereas sustaining meticulous braking inside the context of a brand new, higher-horsepower bundle launched for choose races within the 2026 season.
sped to the pole place whereas William Byron, a three-time Martinsville winner, joins him on the entrance row for the Prepare dinner Out 400. Ford seems to be the perfect producer for this monitor as soon as once more. 5 of the highest 14 qualifiers had been driving Fords. Traditionally, Fords do nicely at Martinsville.
Beginning Place
Driver
1
Denny Hamlin
2
William Byron
3
Josh Berry
4
Ty Gibbs
5
Shane van Gisbergen
6
Austin Cindric
7
Carson Hocevar
8
Tyler Reddick
9
Joey Logano
10
Chase Elliott
11
Christopher Bell
12
Ryan Blaney
13
Kyle Larson
14
Zane Smith
15
Bubba Wallace
16
Chris Buescher
17
Ryan Preece
18
Ross Chastain
19
Erik Jones
20
Michael McDowell
21
Justin Allgaier
22
Daniel Suarez
23
Brad Keselowski
24
Cole Custer
25
Connor Zilisch
26
Riley Herbst
27
Chase Briscoe
28
AJ Allmendinger
29
Todd Gilliland
30
Austin Dillon
31
Noah Gragson
32
John Hunter Nemechek
33
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
34
Kyle Busch
35
Cody Ware
36
Ty Dillon
37
Austin Hill
Finest Qualifiers
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Bob’s Low cost Furnishings Toyota, seems to be on throughout qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Sequence Prepare dinner Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. (Picture by David Jensen/Getty Photos)Picture by David Jensen/Getty Photos
(Picture by David Jensen/Getty Photos)
Denny Hamlin earned the pole place for the primary time this season as he seeks a sixth win this 12 months as a driver or automobile proprietor.
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Josh Berry posted a bullet of a qualifying lap, incomes the third spot on the grid for Sunday’s Prepare dinner Out 400. Workforce Penske/Wooden Brothers Racing are traditionally nice on the paperclip, so contemplate Berry to have a operating likelihood.
Shane van Gisbergen shocked us with the fifth spot on the grid, his career-best begin on an oval. His teammates, nonetheless, struggled. Ross Chastain will begin 18th and Connor Zilisch will begin twenty fifth.
Worst Qualifiers
Chase Briscoe continues to fall flat because the worst-qualifying Joe Gibbs Racing automobile. On , Briscoe highlighted how he was a lot better with SHR at Martinsville than with JGR. Will probably be extraordinarily arduous to win after beginning twenty seventh. Briscoe might have to gamble on another pit technique.
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Todd Gilliland was a top-five automobile within the follow periods, however he struggled over the two-lap qualifying session. He’ll begin twenty ninth.
isn’t meant to win within the NextGen automobile. He qualifies very poorly: thirty fourth.
This story was initially printed by on Mar 28, 2026, the place it first appeared within the part. Add Athlon Sports activities as a
