NASCAR: 2021 Darlington throwback race – Full starting lineup

Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, NASCAR (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, NASCAR (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

The full starting lineup for Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway has been set by the starting lineup formula.

In the continued absence of practice and qualifying at most tracks on the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, NASCAR again turned to the starting lineup formula to set the starting lineup for Sunday afternoon’s Goodyear 400 throwback race at Darlington Raceway.

For the second consecutive race, it is Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski who is set to lead the field to the green flag behind the wheel of his #2 Ford.

The starting lineup is based on the following three factors:

  • 50% based on the finish in the most recent race
    • 25% (50% of the 50%) based on the driver’s finish
    • 25% (50% of the 50%) based on the car owner’s finish
  • 35% based on the team’s rank in owner standings
  • 15% based on the rank of the driver’s fastest lap in the most recent race
  • Keselowski took the pole position for this 293-lap race around the four-turn, 1.366-mile (2.198-kilometer) egg-shaped oval in Darlington, South Carolina due to the fact that he finished the most recent race at Kansas Speedway in third place after recording the fastest lap, coupled with the fact that his #2 team sits in sixth in the owner standings.

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    The top three finishers at Kansas Speedway are set to start the race in the top three at Darlington Raceway, but in reverse order.

    Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick is set to start on the front row alongside Keselowski in second place behind the wheel of his #4 Ford while Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch, the Kansas Raceway race winner, is set to start in third behind the wheel of his #18 Toyota. He is set to start alongside teammate Martin Truex Jr. in fourth behind the wheel of his #19 Toyota on the second row.

    Here is the full starting lineup for the 2021 Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway.

    Starting Lineup
    1st – Brad Keselowski
    2nd – Kevin Harvick
    3rd – Kyle Busch
    4th – Martin Truex Jr.
    5th – William Byron
    6th – Chase Elliott
    7th – Denny Hamlin
    8th – Matt DiBenedetto
    9th – Austin Dillon
    10th – Tyler Reddick
    11th – Chris Buescher
    12th – Joey Logano
    13th – Michael McDowell
    14th – Kyle Larson
    15th – Daniel Suarez
    16th – Ryan Blaney
    17th – Kurt Busch
    18th – Ross Chastain
    19th – Alex Bowman
    20th – Ryan Newman
    21st – Christopher Bell
    22nd – Chase Briscoe
    23rd – Bubba Wallace
    24th – Cole Custer
    25th – Anthony Alfredo
    26th – Erik Jones
    27th – Aric Almirola
    28th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    29th – Ryan Preece
    30th – Corey LaJoie
    31st – Justin Haley
    32nd – B.J. McLeod
    33rd – Cody Ware
    34th – J.J. Yeley
    35th – Quin Houff
    36th – James Davison
    37th – Josh Bilicki

    Tune in to Fox Sports 1 at 3:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, May 9 for the live broadcast of the Goodyear 400 from Darlington Raceway.