NASCAR: Bristol heat race starting lineup – Brad Keselowski on pole

Brad Keselowski is set to start from the pole position in the second of four heat races to set the starting lineup for the first NASCAR Cup Series dirt race in more than 50 years.

The first NASCAR Cup Series race on dirt in more than five decades is scheduled to take place this Sunday, March 28 at Bristol Motor Speedway, and the starting lineup for this race, the Food City Dirt Race, is slated to be set by four Saturday heat races.

The starting lineups for each of those four heat races have been set based on a random draw. The first three heat races are set to see 10 drivers while the fourth is set to only see nine since there are 39 cars on the entry list.

Each heat race is slated to be a 15-lap sprint around the four-turn, 0.533-mile (0.858-kilometer) high-banked oval in Bristol, Tennessee leading up to Sunday’s 250-lap main event.

Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski is set to start from the pole position for the second heat race behind the wheel of his #2 Ford.

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MBM Motorsports’ Mike Marlar, who has never before competed in a Cup Series race, is set to start alongside him on the front row in second place behind the wheel of his #66 Toyota.

Trackhouse Racing Team’s Daniel Suarez, Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell and Rick Ware Racing’s Josh Bilicki are set to round out the top five in third, fourth and fifth place in their #99 Chevrolet, #34 Ford and #52 Chevrolet, respectively.

Here is the full starting lineup for the second Food City Dirt Race heat race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Starting Lineup
1st – Brad Keselowski
2nd – Mike Marlar
3rd – Daniel Suarez
4th – Michael McDowell
5th – Josh Bilicki
6th – William Byron
7th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
8th – Christopher Bell
9th – Austin Dillon
10th – Chris Buescher

A combination of the results of the four heat races as well as “passing points” are set to determine the starting lineup for Sunday’s race.

The four qualifying races for the Food City Dirt Race are set to begin at 6:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 27, and they are set to be broadcast live from Bristol Motor Speedway on Fox Sports 1. The Food City Dirt Race is set to be broadcast live on Fox beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET the following afternoon.