Tyler Reddick wins pole ahead of NASCAR playoff elimination race at Charlotte
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Tyler Reddick will try to extend his NASCAR championship run by starting from the pole Sunday in the elimination race at The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Reddick, in a Toyota for 23XI Racing, turned a lap at 102.839 mph on the hybrid road course/oval in Saturday qualifying. It was the sixth pole of Reddick's career but first on a road course.
Reddick starts Sunday's race trailing Brad Keselowski by two points to advance into the round of eight of the playoffs. Four drivers will be eliminated Sunday, and Reddick leads teammate Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain and Kyle Busch in the bottom four of the rankings.
“This is exactly what we need to do,” Reddick said of his pole-winning run. “We have a plan, and this is what we needed to do on Saturday. I knew I had to go out and qualify here to give us some opportunity and some options.”
Christopher Bell, the defending race winner, qualified second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing and was followed by Daniel Suárez, who is not in the playoffs, in a Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing.
Wallace, Reddick's teammate at 23XI, was fourth as Toyota took three of the top four starting positions.
Busch, who is ranked 12th in the playoff standings and almost certainly needs to win Sunday to avoid elimination, qualified fifth in a Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. He was followed by AJ Allmendinger, Joey Logano and Chase Elliott, none of whom are part of the playoff field.
Denny Hamlin was unable to make a qualifying lap in the final round and will start ninth. Hamlin's issue prevented teammate Ty Gibbs from making a lap, and he will start 10th.
Kyle Larson crashed in Saturday practice and Hendrick Motorsports had to return to the team shop to prepare his backup. He was unable to qualify and will start at the back of the field Sunday.
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