NASCAR Starting Lineup for Saturday's Digital Ally 400 at Kansas Speedway

NASCAR's new handling package for the 2019 season has perhaps its best chance to succeed at Kansas Speedway this weekend. The 11th race on the schedule will coincide with cool, nighttime temperatures that could pair with the 1.5-mile oval's variable banking to produce a competitive race.

 

The sport is certainly hoping for a boost with its 550-horsepower package. Thus far, it's played to mixed reviews on intermediates with the leader still showing a clear advantage in clean air.

 

The edge thus far this weekend has fallen to four-car Stewart-Haas Racing. SHR qualified 1-2-3-4 for this race, sweeping the top two rows for the first time since Talladega Superspeedway last fall. Defending race winner Kevin Harvick earned the pole position to become the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver with three poles this season.

 

Forty cars attempted to qualify for 40 spots on the grid, meaning all drivers made the race.

 

1. Kevin Harvick

2. Aric Almirola

3. Clint Bowyer

4. Daniel Suarez

5. Chase Elliott

6. Martin Truex Jr.

7. William Byron

8. Kyle Larson

9. Brad Keselowski

10. Alex Bowman

11. Erik Jones

12. Bubba Wallace

13. Kyle Busch

14. Kurt Busch

15. Ty Dillon

16. Paul Menard

17. Denny Hamlin

18. Jimmie Johnson

19. Ryan Blaney

20. Joey Logano

21. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

22. Austin Dillon

23. Michael McDowell

24. Corey Lajoie

25. Landon Cassill (i)

26. Daniel Hemric

27. Chris Buescher

28. Ryan Newman

29. Matt DiBenedetto

30. Tyler Reddick (i)

31. Ryan Preece

32. Bayley Currey (i)

33. David Ragan

34. Quin Houff

35. Matt Tifft

36. Ross Chastain (i)

37. Cody Ware (i)

38. Joey Gase (i)

39. Timmy Hill (i)

40. Reed Sorenson

 

(i) - Ineligible to collect Cup Series points

 

Failed To Qualify

None

 

QUALIFYING NOTES

• Kansas marks the 28th Cup pole of Harvick's career and his 22nd with Stewart-Haas Racing. He only won six poles in 13 years with Richard Childress Racing before joining SHR in 2014.
• Aric Almirola (2nd) has his second front row starting spot in the last three races. It's his career best qualifying effort at Kansas (14 starts).
• Clint Bowyer (3rd) ties his best career start at his hometown track in 21 races.
• Daniel Suarez (4th) tied his top starting position since joining Stewart-Haas Racing in 2019.
• Chase Elliott (5th) was the highest qualifying Chevrolet. He's the last Cup driver to win at Kansas (fall 2018).
• Martin Truex Jr. (6th) was the highest qualifying Toyota after winning two of the last three Cup Series races.
• Bubba Wallace (12th) earned the second-best start of his season. He qualified 10th at Texas Motor Speedway.
• Daniel Hemric (26th) was the highest qualifying rookie.
• Tyler Reddick (30th) will make his second Cup Series start of the season with Richard Childress Racing and first since the Daytona 500 in February. Reddick is running a limited schedule with the team.
• Bayley Currey (32nd) made his fifth Cup race of the season and first since Richmond with Rick Ware Racing.
• Joey Gase (38th) is running a new, second unchartered No. 46 car for Carl Long Racing/MBM Motorsports.  Teammate Timmy Hill in the No. 66 car starts 39th.
• Reed Sorenson (40th) continues his limited schedule running a second, unchartered car for Premium Motorsports.

 

NASCAR RACE BREAKDOWN

Race: Digital Ally 400

Track: Kansas Speedway

Date: Saturday, May 11

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: FOX Sports 1

Radio: MRN, SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 267 laps (400 miles)

Stage 1: 80 Laps

Stage 2: 80 Laps

Final Stage: 107 Laps

 

PRE-RACE ANALYSIS

Brandon Brown of the NASCAR Xfinity Series stops by to talk about how tough it was to pass at Dover International Speedway last weekend before Dustin Albino and Mike Neff tee up the action at Kansas Speedway in the Frontstretch podcast.