NASCAR Cup Series: 2018 Gander Outdoors 400 qualifying canceled
By Asher Fair
Qualifying for the first NASCAR Cup Series race of the second round of the playoffs, the Gander Outdoors 400, has been rained out.
The Gander Outdoors 400 is set to open up the second of four rounds of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, the round of 12, at Dover International Speedway this Sunday, October 7.
Qualifying for this race, which is the 30th race of the 36-race season and the fourth race of the 10-race playoffs, was scheduled to take place at 3:30 p.m. ET this afternoon. However, it was rained out.
This means that that the 39 drivers who are set to compete in the 400-lap race around the four-turn, 1.0-mile (1.609-kilometer) Dover International Speedway oval in Dover, Delaware will line up on the starting grid by the owner points of the cars that they are driving.
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As a result, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch is set to start the race from the pole position in his #18 Toyota alongside Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick in second place in his #4 Ford. Busch was last year’s October race at Dover International Speedway and Harvick won the May race at the track.
Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. and Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski are set to share the second row in third and fourth place in their #78 Toyota and #2 Ford, respectively. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer and Team Penske’s Joey Logano are set to share the third row in fifth and sixth in their #14 Ford and #22 Ford, respectively. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kurt Busch and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney are set to share the fourth row in seventh and eighth in their #41 Ford and #12 Ford, respectively.
Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson are the two Chevrolet drivers with the highest starting positions for the race. They are set to share the fifth row in ninth and 10th place in their #9 Chevrolet and #42 Chevrolet, respectively.
Here is the full starting grid for the 2018 Gander Outdoors 400 at Dover International Speedway.
Starting Grid
1st – Kyle Busch
2nd – Kevin Harvick
3rd – Martin Truex Jr.
4th – Brad Keselowski
5th – Clint Bowyer
6th – Joey Logano
7th – Kurt Busch
8th – Ryan Blaney
9th – Chase Elliott
10th – Kyle Larson
11th – Aric Almirola
12th – Alex Bowman
13th – Jimmie Johnson
14th – Austin Dillon
15th – Denny Hamlin
16th – Erik Jones
17th – Ryan Newman
18th – Paul Menard
19th – Daniel Suarez
20th – Jamie McMurray
21st – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
22nd – William Byron
23rd – Chris Buescher
24th – A.J. Allmendinger
25th – Regan Smith
26th – David Ragan
27th – Michael McDowell
28th – Matt Kenseth
29th – Darrell Wallace Jr.
30th – Ty Dillon
31st – Matt DiBenedetto
32nd – Ross Chastain
33rd – Corey Lajoie
34th – Landon Cassill
35th – J.J. Yeley
36th – B.J. McLeod
37th – Jeffrey Earnhardt
38th – Timmy Hill
39th – Harrison Rhodes
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Be sure to tune in to NBC Sports Network on Sunday, October 7 for the live broadcast of the Gander Outdoors 400 from Dover International Speedway to see who will open up the second round of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs on a high note.