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NASCAR playoffs at Bristol starting lineup: Alex Bowman leads Hendrick 1-2-3 with fifth career pole

Bowman's pole is the fifth of his career and his first pole not in the Daytona 500 since 2016

by · CBS Sports

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Alex Bowman won the pole for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in qualifying on Friday evening, posting a lap of 15.142 (126.720 MPH) in the final round to earn his first pole of the 2024 season and the fifth of his Cup career. For Bowman, this marks the first time he has won a pole for a race that isn't the Daytona 500 since Phoenix in the fall of 2016.

Bowman will lead a trio of Hendrick Motorsports drivers at the front of the field, as he is flanked by teammates Kyle Larson in second and William Byron in third. Eight of the top 10 qualifiers were drivers in the Round of 16 of the NASCAR playoffs, including Martin Truex Jr. in fourth and Denny Hamlin in eighth -- both of whom enter this race below the Round of 12 cut line and facing elimination.

The other playoff drivers to qualify in the top 10 included Chase Briscoe in fifth, Christopher Bell in sixth, and Chase Elliott in 10th. Playoff drivers who qualified outside the top 10 included Ty Gibbs in 13th, Tyler Reddick in 15th, Joey Logano in 20th, Ryan Blaney in 22nd, Brad Keselowski in 23rd, Austin Cindric in 27th, Harrison Burton in 34th and Daniel Suarez in 35th.

Bass Pro Shops Night Race starting lineup

  1. #48 - Alex Bowman
  2. #5 - Kyle Larson
  3. #24 - William Byron
  4. #19 - Martin Truex Jr.
  5. #14 - Chase Briscoe
  6. #20 - Christopher Bell
  7. #77 - Carson Hocevar (R)
  8. #11 - Denny Hamlin
  9. #7 - Corey LaJoie
  10. #9 - Chase Elliott
  11. #23 - Bubba Wallace
  12. #1 - Ross Chastain
  13. #54 - Ty Gibbs
  14. #41 - Ryan Preece
  15. #45 - Tyler Reddick
  16. #10 - Noah Gragson
  17. #17 - Chris Buescher
  18. #34 - Michael McDowell
  19. #16 - A.J. Allmendinger
  20. #22 - Joey Logano
  21. #31 - Daniel Hemric
  22. #12 - Ryan Blaney
  23. #6 - Brad Keselowski
  24. #38 - Todd Gilliland
  25. #4 - Josh Berry (R)
  26. #51 - Justin Haley
  27. #2 - Austin Cindric
  28. #42 - John Hunter Nemechek
  29. #8 - Kyle Busch
  30. #3 - Austin Dillon
  31. #47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  32. #43 - Erik Jones
  33. #71 - Zane Smith (R)
  34. #21 - Harrison Burton
  35. #99 - Daniel Suarez
  36. #15 - Kaz Grala (R)
  37. #66 - Josh Bilicki