For the sixth time since May, Joey Logano will start in the top three for an upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race. On this occasion, it will be on pole position. That will be case on Sunday, July 5, as Logano will lead the field for the start of the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after drawing the pole based on a random draw.
It will mark the first time Logano will start first in a Cup race this season. It will mark the eighth time where Logano and his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil/Team Penske Ford Mustang team will start in the top five in a Cup race, the sixth since NASCAR’s return to on-track racing in May amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Logano, who is coming off a disappointing doubleheader weekend at Pocono Raceway with finishes 36th and 24th, is tied in sixth in the regular-season series standings with Martin Truex Jr., trailing points leader Kevin Harvick by 81 points, and has two wins and six top-10 results through the first 15 races of this year’s Cup season and in his first full-time season with former Cup championship-winning crew chief Paul Wolfe.
Starting alongside Logano will be the 2004 Cup champion Kurt Busch, who is slated to make his 700th series start. Alex Bowman will start third alongside teammate Jimmie Johnson, who will make his 19th and final start at Indianapolis. Aric Almirola, coming off two consecutive top-five runs in the Pocono doubleheader weekend, will start fifth. Denny Hamlin, who won the second of the Pocono doubleheader races, will start sixth followed by teammates Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. with Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott to start in the top 10. Kevin Harvick, winner of the first Pocono doubleheader races and the reigning Brickyard 400 winner, will start 11th alongside Ryan Blaney.
Starting in positions 13-26 are rookie Tyler Reddick, Ryan Newman, Matt DiBenedetto, Austin Dillon, Bubba Wallace, William Byron, rookie John Hunter Nemechek, Chris Buescher, Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Erik Jones, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Joey Gase and rookie Brennan Poole.
Starting in positions 27-40 are Michael McDowell, Garrett Smithley, Ty Dillon, rookie Cole Custer, Corey LaJoie, Ross Chastain, rookie Quin Houff, J.J. Yeley, rookie Christopher Bell, Ryan Preece, Daniel Suarez, Timmy Hill, Josh Bilicki and B.J. McLeod.
The Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at Indianapolis, which will mark the 16th race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, will air on July 5 at 4 p.m. ET on NBC.
