NASCAR: Texas provisional starting lineup – Kevin Harvick on pole

Kevin Harvick is set to start from the pole position in the second race of the round of 8 of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Based on the starting lineup formula which NASCAR has used since August, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick is set to start the second race of the three-race round of 8 of the 2020 Cup Series playoffs, the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, from the pole position behind the wheel of his #4 Ford.

Most recent finish (50% weight, with 25% based on car and 25% based on driver), position in the owner standings (35% weight), and fastest lap rank (15% weight) all contributed to Harvick being slated to start this race, which he has won each of the last three years, from the top spot.

Harvick’s pole position for this 334-lap race around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) oval in Fort Worth, Texas is set to be his fifth in 11 usages of this formula.

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Harvick is set to start from the pole position in this race as a result of the fact that he finished in second place at Kansas Speedway, the fact that the #4 team leads the owner standings and the fact that his fastest lap at Kansas Speedway ranked fourth best among all drivers.

Team Penske’s Joey Logano won at Kansas Speedway to lock up a spot in the Championship 4 and recorded the race’s fastest lap in doing so, but because of the fact that he only sits in fifth place in the owner standings, he is set to start in second place alongside Harvick behind the wheel of his #22 Ford as opposed to on the pole position.

Due to a rule related to the starting lineup formula, the eight round of 8 drivers are all locked into the top eight.

Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski and Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott are set to start on the second row in third and fourth place behind the wheels of their #2 Ford and #9 Chevrolet, respectively.

Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. are set to start on the third row in fifth and sixth place behind the wheels of their #88 Chevrolet and #19 Toyota, respectively.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch are set to start on the fourth row in seventh and eighth place behind the wheels of their #11 Toyota and #1 Chevrolet, respectively.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch is set to lead the drivers who are no longer eligible for the championship in ninth place behind the wheel of his #18 Toyota. Based on the formula alone, he would have qualified in sixth, but he could start no higher than ninth because he is no longer in championship contention.

Here is the full provisional starting lineup for the 2020 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Starting Lineup
1st – Kevin Harvick
2nd – Joey Logano
3rd – Brad Keselowski
4th – Chase Elliott
5th – Alex Bowman
6th – Martin Truex Jr.
7th – Denny Hamlin
8th – Kurt Busch
9th – Kyle Busch
10th – Ryan Blaney
11th – William Byron
12th – Austin Dillon
13th – Aric Almirola
14th – Matt DiBenedetto
15th – Christopher Bell
16th – Cole Custer
17th – Erik Jones
18th – Bubba Wallace
19th – Chris Buescher
20th – Tyler Reddick
21st – Clint Bowyer
22nd – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
23rd – Michael McDowell
24th – John Hunter Nemechek
25th – Ryan Newman
26th – Jimmie Johnson
27th – Ty Dillon
28th – Corey LaJoie
29th – Ryan Preece
30th – Daniel Suarez
31st – Brennan Poole
32nd – Matt Kenseth
33rd – J.J. Yeley
34th – Quin Houff
35th – Reed Sorenson
36th – Timmy Hill
37th – Josh Bilicki
38th – Garrett Smithley
39th – Joey Gase
40th – Chad Finchum

NASCAR is expected to confirm this lineup on Wednesday morning, as they have done since this formula was released in August. The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network from Texas Motor Speedway beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 25.