The 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski was awarded the pole position for the upcoming Cup Series Playoff race, the Xfinity 500, at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, November 1.
Keselowski, who finished in sixth place in the recent Cup event at Texas Motor Speedway on Wednesday, October 28, was awarded the pole position based on four stats: current owner’s standings, the driver’s results from a previous Cup race, the owner’s results from a previous Cup race and the fastest lap established from a previous Cup race.
Keselowski, a two-time winner at Martinsville, enters this weekend’s event holding sole possession of the fourth and final transfer spot to the Championship 4 round, the top-four cutline, in the Playoff standings by 25 points as he aims to compete for his second Cup title for the season finale at Phoenix Raceway scheduled on Sunday, November 8.
Martin Truex Jr., who finished in the runner-up spot at Texas and is 36 points below the cutline, will join Keselowski on the front row. Alex Bowman, who is 25 points below the cutline, will start in third place followed by Denny Hamlin, who is 27 points above the cutline, and Kurt Busch, who is 81 points below the cutline and faces a “must-win” situation to retain his hopes for a second Cup title.
Kevin Harvick, who is 42 points above the cutline, will start in sixth place followed by Joey Logano, a 2020 Cup championship finale contender, and Chase Elliott, who is 25 points below the cutline.
Kyle Busch, winner of Wednesday’s race at Texas, will start in ninth place and as the highest non-title contender on the starting grid alongside Ryan Blaney.
Starting in positions 11-25 are Christopher Bell, Matt DiBenedetto, William Byron, Austin Dillon, Cole Custer, Clint Bowyer, Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Erik Jones, Aric Almirola, Ryan Newman, Ryan Preece, John Hunter Nemechek, Michael McDowell and Ty Dillon.
Starting in positions 26-39 are Corey LaJoie, Jimmie Johnson, Chris Buescher, Daniel Suarez, Brennan Poole, Matt Kenseth, Bubba Wallace, Josh Bilicki, Timmy Hill, Quin Houff, Garrett Smithley, James Davison, J.J. Yeley and Joey Gase.
The Xfinity 500 is scheduled to occur on Sunday, November 1, at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.
