Brad Keselowski wins Busch Pole Award for Phoenix Raceway
Staff Report
Abbie Parr | Getty Images
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.