Southern 500 starting lineup: Ryan Blaney on pole for NASCAR Playoffs opener
Blaney to start first at Darlington on the heels of two wins in a row.
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1 min read
When it comes time to determine a champion in any sport, it's important for an athlete and team to be peaking at just the right time. For his part, Ryan Blaney is beginning his playoff pursuit from a position of strength, as evidenced by his starting spot for one of the biggest races on the NASCAR calendar.
On Wednesday, Ryan Blaney was awarded the pole for the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington by virtue of NASCAR's qualifying metric, which accounts for a driver's finish and fastest lap in the previous race in addition to their points position. Blaney's pole is his first since Martinsville last June, and comes on the heels of the first winning streak of his career: After winning one race annually from 2017 through 2020, Blaney has won the last two races at Michigan and Daytona to bring his season win total to three.
In addition to Blaney, the front of the field consists entirely of the 16 drivers who have qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The Southern 500, the oldest 500-mile race on NASCAR's calendar and one of the crown jewels of stock car racing, marks the first race of the Round of 16.
Cook Out Southern 500 Starting Lineup
1. #12 - Ryan Blaney
2. #11 - Denny Hamlin
3. #1 - Kurt Busch
4. #9 - Chase Elliott
5. #48 - Alex Bowman
6. #5 - Kyle Larson
7. #8 - Tyler Reddick
8. #10 - Aric Almirola
9. #4 - Kevin Harvick
10. #19 - Martin Truex Jr.
11. #22 - Joey Logano
12. #18 - Kyle Busch
13. #20 - Christopher Bell
14. #24 - William Byron
15. #34 - Michael McDowell
16. #2 - Brad Keselowski
17. #23 - Bubba Wallace
18. #37 - Ryan Preece
19. #6 - Ryan Newman
20. #77 - Justin Haley
21. #3 - Austin Dillon
22. #43 - Erik Jones
23. #42 - Ross Chastain
24. #14 - Chase Briscoe (R)
25. #7 - Corey LaJoie
26. #99 - Daniel Suarez
27. #78 - B.J. McLeod
28. #52 - Josh Bilicki
29. #47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
30. #21 - Matt DiBenedetto
31. #41 - Cole Custer
32. #38 - Anthony Alfredo (R)
33. #51 - Cody Ware
34. #17 - Chris Buescher
35. #15 - Joey Gase
36. #53 - James Davison
37. #00 - Quin Houff
