Kyle Larson lands Busch Pole for Las Vegas playoff race
Staff Report
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Kyle Larson has secured the Busch Pole Award for Sunday's South Point 400 (7 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
RELATED: Las Vegas weekend schedule | Cup Series standings
Larson -- winner of the most recent NASCAR Cup Series event, at Bristol Motor Speedway -- will start his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet from the first spot for the fourth time in the last six races. The 400-miler is the opening race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs' Round of 12.
Austin Cindric claimed the pole for Saturday's NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 302 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the opening race in that circuit's postseason. John Hunter Nemechek earned the No. 1 starting spot for Friday's Victoria's Voice Foundation 200 presented by Westgate Resorts (9 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs Round of 8 opener.
Larson, Cindric and Nemechek are all the current points leaders in their respective series.
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
Ryan Blaney
12
Team Penske
3
William Byron
24
Hendrick Motorsports
4
Martin Truex Jr.
19
Joe Gibbs Racing
5
Kevin Harvick
4
Stewart-Haas Racing
6
Denny Hamlin
11
Joe Gibbs Racing
7
Alex Bowman
48
Hendrick Motorsports
8
Brad Keselowski
2
Team Penske
9
Joey Logano
22
Team Penske
10
Kyle Busch
18
Joe Gibbs Racing
11
Chase Elliott
9
Hendrick Motorsports
12
Christopher Bell
20
Joe Gibbs Racing
13
Tyler Reddick
8
Richard Childress Racing
14
Matt DiBenedetto
21
Wood Brothers Racing
15
Austin Dillon
3
Richard Childress Racing
16
Erik Jones
43
Richard Petty Motorsports
17
Aric Almirola
10
Stewart-Haas Racing
18
Ross Chastain
42
Chip Ganassi Racing
19
Chase Briscoe
14
Stewart-Haas Racing
20
Kurt Busch
1
Chip Ganassi Racing
21
Bubba Wallace
23
23XI Racing
22
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
47
JTG Daugherty Racing
23
Michael McDowell
34
Front Row Motorsports
24
Ryan Preece
37
JTG Daugherty Racing
25
Chris Buescher
17
Roush Fenway Racing
26
Daniel Suarez
99
Trackhouse Racing
27
Corey LaJoie
7
Spire Motorsports
28
Cole Custer
41
Stewart-Haas Racing
29
Ryan Newman
6
Roush Fenway Racing
30
Garrett Smithley
53
Rick Ware Racing
31
Josh Bilicki
52
Rick Ware Racing
32
Anthony Alfredo
38
Front Row Motorsports
33
Justin Haley
77
Spire Motorsports
34
BJ McLeod
78
Live Fast Motorsports
35
Cody Ware
51
Petty Ware Racing
36
Quin Houff
00
StarCom Racing
37
Joey Gase
15
Rick Ware Racing
38
JJ Yeley
66
Motorsports Business Management
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.