NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500: Qualifying, Michael McDowell’s Pole Position, Lineup At Talladega Superspeedway
By Jeff Hawkins,
8 hours ago
Wonder what the pre-season sports betting odds would have been on driver Michael McDowell earning six pole positions through 31 NASCAR Cup Series races this season?
That would have been an interesting wager, considering he went 466 Cup starts without earning one pole.
For the sixth time this season, McDowell on Saturday earned the right to start on the inside of the front row for Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway by turning a hot qualifying lap of 183.063 mph. McDowell has swept pole positions at Talladega and Atlanta Motor Speedway.
“It’s hard to come down and get the pole,” McDowell told NBC Sports. “We came in here with a plan. I’m really proud.
“We’ve been laser-focused.”
The 17-year veteran edged runner-up Austin Cindric by 0.183 seconds. Todd Gilliland (182.258 mph) and Kyle Busch (181.863) are slated to fill out the second row.
Sunday’s race will be the second of three Round of 8 races.
Entering the YellaWood 500, Tyler Reddick, who won the sprint event at Talladega, begins four points behind Joey Logano and Chase Elliott on the cutoff line.
At plus-34, William Byron, who will start P16, leads the playoff field, followed by reigning series champion Ryan Blaney (+28), who will begin P5.
2 Organizations Sue NASCAR Cup Series
Two leading franchises on Wednesday filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR Cup Series and chairman Jim France.
Following nearly two years of negotiations, the National Association for Stock Scar Auto Racing and the 15 charter organizations, the Michael Jordan co-owned 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports filed suit, claiming unfair business practices.
The suit, filed in the Western District of North Carolina in Charlotte, N.C., alleges that NASCAR unfairly connects the teams to the series, including its suppliers and racing venues.
“The France family and NASCAR are monopolistic bullies,” the teams said in the lawsuit, according to The Associated Press. “And bullies will continue to impose their will to hurt others until their targets stand up and refuse to be victims. That moment has now arrived.”
Jordan told ESPN: “The way NASCAR is run today is unfair to teams, drivers, sponsors and fans.”
Starting Lineup for NASCAR Cup Series’ YellaWood 500
Here is a look at the lineup for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series’ YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway:
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