NASCAR: Daniel Suarez on pole after Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch fail inspection
By Asher Fair
Daniel Suarez, not Kevin Harvick, is set to start from the pole position for the 21st race of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season, the Gander Outdoors 400.
Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick took the pole position for the 21st race of the 36-race 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season, the Gander Outdoors 400, at Pocono Raceway in his #4 Ford, but he failed post-qualifying inspection and will be sent to the rear of the field along with 12 other drivers.
Among those 12 other drivers was Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch, who qualified in second place beside Harvick in his #18 Toyota for the 160-lap race around the three-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Pocono Raceway triangle in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
As a result, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Daniel Suarez, who originally qualified for the race in third place in his #19 Toyota, is set to become the first Mexican driver to start a Cup Series race from the pole position. He is set to do so alongside teammate Denny Hamlin, who originally qualified in seventh in his #11 Toyota, in second.
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Joe Gibbs Racing’s other driver, Erik Jones, originally qualified in eighth place in his #20 Toyota, but he is set to start in third as a result of the penalties given to the drivers who failed post-qualifying inspection. As a result, Toyota, particularly Joe Gibbs Racing, have a 1-2-3 sweep of the starting grid for the race.
Aside of Harvick and Busch, 11 other drivers were issued penalties as a result of the fact that they failed post-qualifying inspection. Those drivers were Team Penske’s Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer and Aric Almirola, Hendrick Motorsports’ Jimmie Johnson and William Byron, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson, Wood Brothers Racing’s Paul Menard, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon, Richard Petty Motorsports’ Darrell Wallace Jr. and Leavine Family Racing’s Kasey Kahne.
Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski is now the highest qualifying Ford driver in the race, and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson is now the highest qualifying Chevrolet driver. They qualified in fourth and fifth place in their #2 Ford and #42 Chevrolet, respectively.
The 13 drivers who were issued penalties as a result of failing post-qualifying inspection are set to start at the back of the grid, and they are set to be sorted by their positions in the championship standings.
Here is the updated starting lineup for the 2018 Gander Outdoors 400 at Pocono Raceway.
| Starting Lineup |
| 1st – Daniel Suarez |
| 2nd – Denny Hamlin |
| 3rd – Erik Jones |
| 4th – Brad Keselowski |
| 5th – Jamie McMurray |
| 6th – Chase Elliott |
| 7th – Kurt Busch |
| 8th – Martin Truex Jr. |
| 9th – Ryan Newman |
| 10th – Alex Bowman |
| 11th – Matt Kenseth |
| 12th – Chris Buescher |
| 13th – Michael McDowell |
| 14th – A.J. Allmendinger |
| 15th – Ty Dillon |
| 16th – David Ragan |
| 17th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 18th – Matt DiBenedetto |
| 19th – Jeffrey Earnhardt |
| 20th – J.J. Yeley |
| 21st – Corey Lajoie |
| 22nd – Ross Chastain |
| 23rd – Kyle Weatherman |
| 24th – Landon Cassill |
| 25th – Reed Sorenson |
| 26th – B.J. McLeod |
| 27th – Timmy Hill |
| 28th – Kyle Busch |
| 29th – Kevin Harvick |
| 30th – Joey Logano |
| 31st – Clint Bowyer |
| 32nd – Kyle Larson |
| 33rd – Ryan Blaney |
| 34th – Aric Almirola |
| 35th – Jimmie Johnson |
| 36th – Paul Menard |
| 37th – Austin Dillon |
| 38th – William Byron |
| 39th – Darrell Wallace Jr. |
| 40th – Kasey Kahne |
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The 2018 Gander Outdoors 400 is scheduled to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network later today at 2:30 p.m. ET, so be sure not to miss it.