2017 Darlington Raceway starting lineup featuring the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Today, NASCAR sets the grid for Sunday’s Southern 500. I
t’s three rounds of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series knockout qualifying in Darlington, SC.
View the full 2017 Darlington Raceway starting lineup below.
Round 1
20 minutes in round 1.
Aric Almirola is the first car to dust off the racing surface.
Kevin Harvick to the top with a 27.598.
12 minutes remain is round 1. The sun has appeared. It was hiding behind the clouds. That’s only going to make it harder to find improvement in a 2nd attempt. As a results, the track in empty.
Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch hit the track for the first time. 10th quickest for Elliott. Busch knocks him back to 11th and takes the 10th spot as well.
Chris Buescher is 24th, Paul Menard is 25th. Both of them are on track. Menard is up to 20th. Ragan is on the cut line, bumped. Ty Dillon is on the cut line, bumped.
Ty Dillon is on track to move back into a transfer spot. He makes it to the line with less than a second to spare. He begins his lap, it’s over in turn 1. He drifted up the banking, scraped the wall and shut it down.
“I probably should have just kept it in the pits it looks like. I think our cars fine. I’m excited for my first Southern 500,” says Ty Dillon after getting into the wall.
Kevin Harvick wins round 1.
Bojangles’ Southern 500
Darlington Raceway, Darlington, SC USA
Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing, Busch Beer Throwback Ford Fusion
World Copyright: John K Harrelson / Harrelson Photography Inc.
Round 1 Results: 1. Kevin Harvick (27.598); 2. Matt Kenseth; 3. Kurt Busch; 4. Jamie McMurray; 5. Martin Truex Jr; 6. Austin Dillon; 7. Ricky Stenhouse Jr; 8. Erik Jones; 9. Joey Logano; 10. Kyle Busch; 11. Chase Elliott; 12. Kyle Larson
Round 2
10 minutes session in round 2.
Aric Almirola is a again the first car on track. He’s loose off turn 2, drifts toward the wall but stays in the throttle, 28.048.
7 minutes remain, Kevin Harvick goes back to the top of the board. 27.703, two tenths slower than his first round attempt.
2 minutes remain, Matt Kenseth sits on pit road and simultaneously on the cut line. No threat at the moment, the track is empty.
If you can’t go faster, stay on pit road and save your tires. These are the tires that these teams will have to start the race with.
Kevin Harvick also wins round 2.
Round 2 Results: 1. Kevin Harvick (27.703); 2. Erik Jones; 3. Jamie McMurray; 4. Kyle Larson; 5. Kyle Busch; 6. Brad Keselowski; 7. Denny Hamlin; 8. Kurt Busch; 9. Martin Truex Jr; 10. Joey Logano; 11. Ryan Blaney; 12. Matt Kenseth;
Round 3
A short 5 minutes session to set the 2017 Southern 500 starting lineup.
A bit of shade over the speedway. Joey Logano is the first car on track.
Kevin Harvick knocks him off moments later. Back to the top again, 27.669.
2 minutes remain, Martin Truex Jr is close, 27.771.
Kevin Harvick sets the pole in Darlington raceway qualifying!
2017 Darlington Raceway starting lineup
NASCAR Cup Series
1. Kevin Harvick (27.669)
2. Martin Truex Jr
3. Kyle Busch
4. Kyle Larson
5. Jamie McMurray
6. Brad Keselowski
7. Kurt Busch
8. Joey Logano
9. Denny Hamlin
10. Erik Jones
11. Matt Kenseth
12. Ryan Blaney
13. Austin Dillon
14. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
15. Aric Almirola
16. Clint Bowyer
17. Ryan Newman
18. Jimmie Johnson
19. Daniel Suarez
20. Chase Elliott
21. Paul Menard
22. Dale Earnhardt Jr
23. Kasey Kahne
24. Trevor Bayne
25. Ty Dillon
26. David Ragan
27. Chris Buescher
28. Matt Dubenedetto
29. AJ Allmendinger
30. Michael McDowell
31. Landon Cassill
32. Reed Sorenson
33. Danica Patrick
34. Cole Whitt
35. Corey LaJoie
36. Gray Gaulding
37. Jeffrey Earnhardt
38. Derrike Cope
39. Cody Ware
40. Carl Long
