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March 10, 2021

Brad Keselowski wins Busch Pole Award for Phoenix Raceway


Brad Keselowski has won the Busch Pole Award for Sunday’s Instacart 500 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Phoenix Raceway.

Series officials released the starting lineup Wednesday morning. Keselowski will drive his No. 2 Team Penske Ford from the pole position with Kyle Larson in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet sharing the front row. It marks Keselowski’s first pole start of the 2021 season.

Additionally, Daniel Hemric will start his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota from the pole in Saturday’s Call 811 Before You Dig 200 presented by Arizona 811 (5:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) for the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

RELATED: Phoenix weekend schedule | 2021 Cup Series standings

As NASCAR adapted to COVID-19 protocols last season, practice and qualifying were eliminated at a majority of national-series events to limit at-track time, exposure and to cut race weekend costs. To determine starting lineups, competition officials used grouped draws, added inversions for weekend doubleheaders, and eventually adopted a performance-metrics formula. That metrics format remains in place this season, drawing on performance from both individual races and season-long results.

NASCAR’s metrics formula for 2021 weighs:

  • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
  • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
  • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
  • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race

See the full lineup for Sunday’s Cup Series race below.

Start pos.
Driver Car # Team
1 Brad Keselowski 2 Team Penske
2 Kyle Larson 5 Hendrick Motorsports
3 Denny Hamlin 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
4 Christopher Bell 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
5 Martin Truex Jr. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
6 Chase Elliott 9 Hendrick Motorsports
7 Kyle Busch 18 Joe Gibbs Racing
8 Ryan Blaney 12 Team Penske
9 Joey Logano 22 Team Penske
10 William Byron 24 Hendrick Motorsports
11 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing
12 Kurt Busch 1 Chip Ganassi Racing
13 Austin Dillon 3 Richard Childress Racing
14 Erik Jones 43 Richard Petty Motorsports
15 Ryan Preece 37 JTG Daugherty Racing
16 Michael McDowell 34 Front Row Motorsports
17 Chris Buescher 17 Roush Fenway Racing
18 Kevin Harvick 4 Stewart-Haas Racing
19 Ryan Newman 6 Roush Fenway Racing
20 Matt DiBenedetto 21 Wood Brothers Racing
21 Alex Bowman 48 Hendrick Motorsports
22 Ross Chastain 42 Chip Ganassi Racing
23 Tyler Reddick 8 Richard Childress Racing
24 Cole Custer 41 Stewart-Haas Racing
25 Bubba Wallace 23 23XI Racing
26 Chase Briscoe 14 Stewart-Haas Racing
27 Daniel Suarez 99 Trackhouse Racing Team
28 Anthony Alfredo 38 Front Row Motorsports
29 Justin Haley 77 Spire Motorsports
30 BJ McLeod 78 Live Fast Motorsports
31 Cody Ware 51 Rick Ware Racing
32 Aric Almirola 10 Stewart-Haas Racing
33 Corey LaJoie 7 Spire Motorsports
34 Garrett Smithley 53 Rick Ware Racing
35 Quin Houff 00 StarCom Racing
36 Josh Bilicki 52 Rick Ware Racing
37 Timmy Hill 66 MBM Motorsports
38 James Davison 15 Rick Ware Racing

Practice and qualifying are tentatively scheduled for eight Cup Series races this year. Busch Pole Qualifying was held for the season-opening Daytona 500; the next race with time trials scheduled is the March 28 event at Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt track.

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