NASCAR: Darlington starting lineup – Ryan Preece on pole
By Asher Fair
Ryan Preece is set to start from the pole position for the Toyota 500, the second of two NASCAR Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway this week.
By virtue of his 20th place finish in the first NASCAR Cup Series race in 10 weeks at Darlington Raceway on Sunday afternoon, JTG Daugherty Racing’s Ryan Preece is set to start this Wednesday evening’s race at the track from the pole position in his #37 Chevrolet.
The top 20 drivers of Sunday’s 293-lap race at the four-turn, 1.366-mile (2.198-kilometer) oval in Darlington, South Carolina, the The Real Heroes 400, are set to start this Wednesday’s 228-lap race, the Toyota 500 (kilometers, not miles), in the top 20, but in reverse order. With post-race teardown complete, the race results are official.
This qualifying method, which was announced last week, gives Preece the first pole position of his Cup Series career, and he is set to start alongside 19th place finisher Ty Dillon of Germain Racing in his #13 Chevrolet on the front row.
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Set to share the second row are Team Penske’s Joey Logano and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer in third and fourth place in their #22 Ford and #14 Ford, respectively. Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney is set to start in fifth in his #12 Ford alongside Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman in sixth in his #6 Ford.
Wood Brothers Racing’s Matt DiBenedetto, Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola and Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon are set to round out the top 10 in seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th place in their #21 Ford, #2 Ford, #10 Ford and #3 Chevrolet, respectively.
The Real Heroes 400 winner Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing is set to start in 20th place in his #4 Ford alongside Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman in 19th in his #88 Chevrolet.
Missing out on the pole position by one spot and starting 20 positions lower because of it is Richard Petty Motorsports’ Bubba Wallace, who finished in 21st place in his #43 Chevrolet and is set to start there on Wednesday, as the 21st through 40th place finishers are set to line up in the order they finished with no reversal.
Tommy Baldwin Racing’s Josh Bilicki, who finished in 34th place on Sunday, will not compete on Wednesday, moving the 35th through 40th place finishers up by one position each in the starting lineup.
Additionally, Gray Gaulding is set to replace J.J. Yeley behind the wheel of the #27 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet in the 28th starting position and Yeley is set to replace Reed Sorenson behind the wheel of the #77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet in the 29th starting position.
Here is the full starting lineup for the 2020 Toyota 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Starting Lineup
1st – Ryan Preece
2nd – Ty Dillon
3rd – Joey Logano
4th – Clint Bowyer
5th – Ryan Blaney
6th – Ryan Newman
7th – Matt DiBenedetto
8th – Brad Keselowski
9th – Aric Almirola
10th – Austin Dillon
11th – Matt Kenseth
12th – John Hunter Nemechek
13th – Erik Jones
14th – Tyler Reddick
15th – Martin Truex Jr.
16th – Denny Hamlin
17th – Chase Elliott
18th – Kurt Busch
19th – Alex Bowman
20th – Kevin Harvick
21st – Bubba Wallace
22nd – Cole Custer
23rd – Michael McDowell
24th – Christopher Bell
25th – Daniel Suarez
26th – Kyle Busch
27th – Brennan Poole
28th – Gray Gaulding
29th – Ross Chastain
30th – Joey Gase
31st – Corey LaJoie
32nd – Chris Buescher
33rd – Timmy Hill
34th – William Byron
35th – Quin Houff
36th – Garrett Smithley
37th – Jimmie Johnson
38th – B.J. McLeod
39th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
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Tune in to Fox Sports 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET this Wednesday, May 20 for the live broadcast of the Toyota 500 from Darlington Raceway.