NASCAR: Texas starting lineup – Kevin Harvick takes pole

Kevin Harvick took the pole position for the second race of the round of 8 of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick has officially taken the pole position for the second of three races in the round of 8 of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at Texas Motor Speedway, the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500.

As calculated earlier this week, Harvick took the pole position for this 334-lap race around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) oval in Fort Worth, Texas by having the best combination of three factors which have been used to set the starting lineup for 11 races now going back to August.

These three factors are most recent race result (50% weight, with half of that based on car result and the other half based on driver result), position in the owner standings (35% weight), and rank of his fastest lap in the most recent race (15% weight) among the eight remaining championship contenders.

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Due to a rule, only the eight remaining playoff drivers can start in the top eight, even if an eliminated driver ranks in the top eight using this formula.

Harvick did not win the most recent race at Kansas; in fact, Team Penske’s Joey Logano not only won that race, but he did it after securing the race’s fastest lap. But Logano’s #22 team only sits in fifth place in the owner standings, despite having locked up a spot in the Championship 4, while Harvick’s #4 team leads. Harvick finished in second place behind Logano at Kansas with the fourth fastest lap, which was enough for him to secure the pole position for Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, a race he has won in each of the last three seasons.

Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman are set to round out the top five in third, fourth and fifth place behind the wheels of their #2 Ford, #9 Chevrolet and #88 Chevrolet, respectively.

Set to round out the group of eight playoff drivers in sixth, seventh and eighth place are Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch behind the wheels of their #19 Toyota, #11 Toyota and #1 Chevrolet, respectively.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch had the best mathematical outcome in the starting lineup formula among the drivers who are no longer in championship contention, one which would have secured him the sixth place starting position. He is set to start in ninth behind the wheel of his #18 Toyota alongside Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney in 10th behind the wheel of his #12 Ford.

Here is the full 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

The 2020 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 is set to be broadcast live from Texas Motor Speedway on NBC Sports Network beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, October 25.