For the first time this season, Aric Almirola will start from pole position during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.
The No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing driver turned a 31.261-second lap (177.346 mph) around the 1.540-mile track during qualifying on Saturday evening.
Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney qualified second in his No. 12 entry with a 31.275-second lap, adding to the Ford sweep of the top six. SHR’s Chase Briscoe and Team Penske’s Joey Logano will start from the second row.
Wood Brothers Racing’s Harrison Burton and SHR’s Kevin Harvick will make up the third row.
Ty Gibbs was the highest-placing Toyota, qualifying seventh in his No. 54 entry. Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports entry, which qualified eighth, was the only Chevrolet in the top 10. Todd Gilliland and Austin Cindric completed the top 10.
The entire Cup Series field will take the green for the Quaker State 400 at 7 p.m. (ET) on Sunday.