#5: Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro MetroTech during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., May 29, 2021.  (HHP/Chris Owens)
Kyle Larson. (HHP/Chris Owens photo)

Larson Lands Sonoma Raceway Busch Pole Award

SONOMA, Calif. – Kyle Larson will look to follow a perfect Memorial Day weekend with a Sonoma Raceway victory on Sunday, and he’ll begin that quest from the pole position.

Larson, the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports, received the Busch Pole Award for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 courtesy of the highest metric score among the 37 cars entered to compete.

Lap speed is weighted at 15 percent, previous race finish at 25 percent for the driver and owner results and owner points position at 35 percent to calculate the final metric score.

Larson earned the pole with a metric score of 1.95, factoring in his recent win at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the fifth-fastest lap from that event and his runner-up seeding in the point standings after 15 of 36 races this season.

The Elk Grove, Calif., native will be trailed by two of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates in the starting order Sunday, as Chase Elliott joins Larson on the front row and William Byron starts third alongside the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry of Denny Hamlin.

Kyle Busch will roll off fifth, followed by Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Tyler Reddick.

Martin Truex Jr., the winner of the last two Sonoma Cup Series races, starts 19th after a tire issue on a late pit stop at Charlotte left him with a disappointing finish.

To view the full starting lineup and performance matrix, click here.

Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 is scheduled for a 4 p.m. ET start, with live coverage on FS1, the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.