All eyes are on the Cup Sequence playoff discipline at Watkins Glen, but it surely’ll be the primary driver outdoors that group that leads the sphere to inexperienced Sunday.
Ross Chastain set a prime time of 72.130s (122.279mph) to safe the second pole of his Cup Sequence profession. The primary got here on the weekend of his final win, in 2023’s summer season journey to Nashville Superspeedway. Chastain at the moment sits seventeenth in factors, first amongst those who did not make the playoffs after his winless common season.
Martin Truex Jr. was quickest amongst playoff drivers, qualifying second with a velocity of 122.052mph. The 2017 Cup champion wants run to maintain his title hopes alive in his remaining playoff run, having entered Watkins Glen 19 factors under the Spherical of 12 cutline.
Shane van Gisbergen (121.864mph) slotted in third for Kaulig Racing, with Chicago winner Alex Bowman (121.843mph) main Hendrick Motorsports in fourth. It was a surprisingly troublesome session for Hendrick, winners of the previous 5 Cup races at Watkins Glen. Bowman was the one crew driver to make the ultimate spherical of qualifying.
Austin Cindric (121.779mph) wrapped up the highest 5. AJ Allmendinger (121.685mph), Joey Logano (121.391mph), Daniel Suarez (121.225mph), Noah Gragson (120.852mph) and Michael McDowell (120.736mph) accomplished the highest 10.
Van Gisbergen was quickest in Group A’s session with a velocity of 122.115mph. Chastain, Logano, Gragson and McDowell adopted to advance to the ultimate spherical. It was a shocking prime 5, with seven of the eight playoff drivers within the group failing to advance.
Chase Briscoe did not advance, however jumped as much as sixth within the remaining lap of the session to qualify twelfth general and provides himself a shot at much-needed stage factors in Sunday’s race. Briscoe at the moment sits final within the playoff discipline after crashing out at Atlanta Motor Speedway, 21 factors under the Spherical of 12 cutline.
Playoff drivers fared significantly better in Group B. Truex was quickest with a velocity of 122.82mph. Fellow playoff contenders Bowman, Cindric and Suarez superior, with Xfinity Sequence common Allmendinger following swimsuit.
The session ended with a slight scare as rookie Carson Hocevar missed the exit of the carousel and rolled into the Boot part usually utilized in sports activities automotive races. Hocevar turned his automotive round and waited simply off-track on the exit of the carousel as others accomplished their remaining runs, placing race management and people nonetheless qualifying in a troublesome place.
Expensive Carson Hocevar,
We aren’t operating the boot at Watkins Glen.
Sincerely, us. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/AY2lJBLYIX
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 14, 2024
Defending race winner William Byron narrowly missed the ultimate spherical and can begin 1tth. Two-time Watkins Glen winner Chase Elliott will roll off 14th, adopted by Ty Gibbs in fifteenth. Tyler Reddick was surprisingly sluggish after pacing apply and can begin sixteenth, with Christopher Bell slotting in seventeenth and the Subsequent Gen’s first Watkins Glen winner, Kyle Larson, qualifying twentieth.
Different playoff drivers embody Denny Hamlin in twenty second, Brad Keselowski in twenty eighth, Ryan Blaney in thirtieth and Harrison Burton in thirty third. Each Keselowski and Burton are at the moment under the Spherical of 12 cutline, with Hamlin solely two factors to the nice in eleventh.
Juan Pablo Montoya will begin thirty fourth in his first Cup Sequence look for the reason that 2014 Brickyard 400. He beforehand received at Watkins Glen in 2010.
Protection of the Go Bowling on the Glen will kick off Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on USA and MRN.
