NASCAR: Talladega starting lineup if qualifying is rained out

There is a chance for morning showers on Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway. What happens if NASCAR Cup Series qualifying is rained out?

The NASCAR Cup Series is set for the first of its two annual trips to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend for the GEICO 500.

Qualifying for Sunday afternoon’s 188-lap race around the four-turn, 2.66-mile (4.281-kilometer) high-banked Lincoln, Alabama oval is scheduled to take place at 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday morning.

However, The Weather Channel indicates that there is a chance for “showers in the morning” on Saturday, which could put qualifying in jeopardy. There is currently a 40% chance of rain when qualifying is scheduled to take place.

What if NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway is canceled?

For a superspeedway race, the qualifying order is still set by the metric, but there are no groups for the first round; everyone is competing against each other.

The metric, which was introduced in 2020 as a way to set starting lineups in the absence of qualifying, includes four variables: the driver’s finish in the most recent race (25%), the car owner’s finish in the most recent race (25%), the car owner’s rank in the owner standings (35%), and the rank of the driver’s fastest lap in the most recent race (15%).

For the drivers who drive the same car from week to week, the first two categories are combined into one category, one which is weighted at 50%.

The lower the metric value, the farther down the order one qualifies. But in the event that qualifying is canceled, that order is flipped.

Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson is set to qualify 38th of the 38 drivers on the entry list for Sunday’s race, but if qualifying is canceled, he is set to start on the pole position behind the wheel of his No. 5 Chevrolet.

On the other hand, Beard Motorsports’ Austin Hill is set to qualify first, but if qualifying is canceled, he is set to start in 38th place behind the wheel of his No. 62 Chevrolet.

Here is what the starting lineup will look like if qualifying ends up being rained out.

Starting Lineup
1st – Kyle Larson
2nd – Denny Hamlin
3rd – Martin Truex Jr.
4th – Joey Logano
5th – Chase Briscoe
6th – Ryan Blaney
7th – Christopher Bell
8th – Ross Chastain
9th – Alex Bowman
10th – Kevin Harvick
11th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
12th – Aric Almirola
13th – Bubba Wallace
14th – Tyler Reddick
15th – Chris Buescher
16th – Daniel Suarez
17th – Kyle Busch
18th – Chase Elliott
19th – Ryan Preece
20th – William Byron
21st – Ty Gibbs
22nd – Austin Dillon
23rd – Brad Keselowski
24th – Michael McDowell
25th – Corey LaJoie
26th – A.J. Allmendinger
27th – Justin Haley
28th – Austin Cindric
29th – Erik Jones
30th – Harrison Burton
31st – Noah Gragson
32nd – Zane Smith
33rd – Ty Dillon
34th – Riley Herbst
35th – J.J. Yeley
36th – B.J. McLeod
37th – Todd Gilliland
38th – Austin Hill

Team Penske’s Joey Logano is the favorite to win Sunday’s race, with his odds currently listed at +1000. Bet now at FanDuel Sportsbook!

The GEICO 500 is set to be broadcast live on Fox from Talladega Superspeedway beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, April 23. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don’t miss it!