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Kyle Larson claims Busch Pole Award for Round of 16 race at Richmond; see lineup

By Staff Report

NASCAR.com

Published: 8 Sep, 2021

2 Minute Read

Kyle Larson earned the Busch Pole Award for Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute to First Responders (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 16 middle race at Richmond Raceway.

RELATED: Complete schedule for Richmond | Betting odds

Larson will start his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet from the first spot for the second time this season, in search of his second Richmond victory.

Austin Cindric claimed the pole for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Go Bowling 250 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM) in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, meanwhile, is off this weekend.

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 Saturday night’s Cup Series race below.

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

Practice and qualifying are tentatively scheduled for eight Cup Series races this year. Just one race remains with Busch Pole Qualifying on the schedule — the season-ending championship race Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway.