Truex draws pole for Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega
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| Martin Truex Jr. |
The starting lineup for Sunday’s GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway (3 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) has been set.
Martin Truex Jr. will start from the pole position, with Denny Hamlin joining him on the front row to lead the field to green for the 188-lap, 500-mile race.
The lineup for the race was determined by a random draw, with results airing on FS1’s “Race Hub." The parameters for the draw were as follows:
- Positions 1-12 determined by a random draw from charter teams in those positions in team owner points
- Positions 13-24: Random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
- Positions 25-36: Random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
- Positions 37-40: will be filled out by open, non-chartered teams in order of owner points
Here is a look at the full lineup:
| Pos | Driver | Car # | Team |
| 1 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 3 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 4 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 5 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 6 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | Team Penske |
| 7 | Kurt Busch | 1 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 8 | Alex Bowman | 88 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 9 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 10 | Clint Bowyer | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 11 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 12 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 13 | Matt Kenseth | 42 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 14 | Ryan Newman | 6 | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 15 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 16 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 17 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 18 | Erik Jones | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 19 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 20 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 21 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 22 | John Hunter Nemechek | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 23 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 24 | Bubba Wallace | 43 | Richard Petty Motorsports |
| 25 | Corey LaJoie | 32 | Go Fas Racing |
| 26 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 27 | Brennan Poole | 15 | Premium Motorsports |
| 28 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 29 | Gray Gaulding | 27 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 30 | BJ McLeod | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 31 | Ryan Preece | 37 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 32 | Quin Houff | 00 | StarCom Racing |
| 33 | Ty Dillon | 13 | Germain Racing |
| 34 | JJ Yeley | 53 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 35 | Christopher Bell | 95 | Leavine Family Racing |
| 36 | Joey Gase | 51 | Petty Ware Racing |
| 37 | Daniel Suarez | 96 | Gaunt Brothers Racing |
| 38 | Timmy Hill | 66 | Motorsports Business Management |
| 39 | Brendan Gaughan | 62 | Beard Motorsports |
| 40 | Garrett Smithley | 78 | B.J. McLeod Motorsports |
RULES PACKAGE
The 2020 NASCAR rules package for superspeedways will be in effect, with additional engine restrictions intended to drop the target horsepower to around 510 horsepower. The cars will use the superspeedway package, but aero ducts will be eliminated and a smaller throttle body will be used. Competition officials introduced the changes May 1 after Ryan Newman’s severe wreck in the season-opening Daytona 500.
GOODYEAR TIRES
Goodyear officials expect tire strategy and not tire wear to be a focal point this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, where traction fall-off is not as dramatic. Cup Series and Xfinity Series teams will run the same tire combination this weekend; it’s the same compound and code Cup Series teams ran last October, but it will mark a new combination for Xfinity Series cars for their 300-miler Saturday (5:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM).
“We have actually seen some tire wear at Talladega since it was repaved about a decade ago," said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing, making a nod toward Talladega’s 2010 repave. “Having said that, wear is really not an issue. Teams will have the opportunity to take two tires, or even no tires on occasion, to gain track position and line themselves up with the other teams they are working with in the draft."
Cup Series teams will have an allotment of seven sets of tires for their Sunday event. Xfinity Series teams will have a maximum of four sets for their race.
LIVE COVERAGE
Tune in to television coverage from Talladega Superspeedway on FOX (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET) and the FOX Sports App. For full radio coverage, listen in to MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on-air.
2019 RACE WINNER
Chevrolet teams executed a winning strategy at Talladega Superspeedway as Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman went 1-2 to break up a seven-race streak at the track for Ford. Elliott led a race-best 45 laps in his fourth career Cup Series win as Chevy drivers swept five of the top six positions.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, June 19
** ACCESS RESTRICTED – ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL ONLY **
** ENTRANCE SCHEDULE AVAILABLE BY DEPARTMENT **
7:30 AM 7:30 PM EVENT OPERATIONS SET-UP
(SCREENING IN PROGRESS)
8:00 AM 10:00 AM DRIVER MOTORHOME PARKING
(SCREENING IN PROGRESS)
11:00 AM 12:00 PM AMS HAULERS ENTER (SCREENING IN
PROGRESS)
12:00 PM 7:00 PM AMS GARAGE ACCESS SCREENING IN
PROGRESS
2:30 PM 3:00 PM NXS ROOKIE MEETING (TELECONFERENCE)
3:00 PM 5:00 PM BROADCASTING SET-UP
3:30 PM 4:00 PM NCS ROOKIE MEETING (TELECONFERENCE)
4:00 PM NXS DRIVER / CREW CHIEF MEETING
(ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION)
6:00 PM 8:00 PM NXS HAULERS ENTER (SCREENING IN
PROGRESS)
Saturday, June 20
** ACCESS RESTRICTED – ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL ONLY **
** ENTRANCE SCHEDULE AVAILABLE BY DEPARTMENT **
7:00 AM 12:30 PM AMS GARAGE ACCESS SCREENING IN PROGRESS
8:00 AM 4:00 PM NXS GARAGE ACCESS SCREENING IN
PROGRESS
8:30 AM 9:00 AM PACE VEHICLE CALIBRATION
9:30 AM TRACK SERVICES MEETING (RADIO CHANNEL ASSIGNMENT)
10:00 AM 10:30 AM AMS PRACTICE (GROUPS )
11:00 AM 12:30 PM AMS ENGINE PRIME & FINAL ADJUSTMENTS (ARCA GARAGE AREA)
12:50 PM AMS DRIVERS REPORT TO VEHICLES (GRID LOCATION)
1:00 PM (2:00 PM) AMS RACE (76 LAPS, 202.16 MILES)
2:30 PM 4:00 PM NXS ENGINE PRIME & FINAL ADJUSTMENTS
(NASCAR XFINITY SERIES GARAGE AREA)
4:00 PM 5:00 PM AMS HAULERS EXIT
4:20 PM NXS DRIVERS REPORT TO VEHICLES (GRID LOCATION)
4:30 PM (5:30 PM) NXS RACE (STAGES 25/50/113 LAPS = 300.58 MILES)
5:00 PM NCS DRIVER / CREW CHIEF MEETING (ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION)
5:30 PM 7:30 PM NCS HAULERS ENTER (SCREENING & EQUIPMENT UNLOAD)
8:30 PM Approx NXS HAULERS EXIT
Sunday, June 21
** ACCESS RESTRICTED – ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL ONLY **
** ENTRANCE SCHEDULE AVAILABLE BY DEPARTMENT **
7:00 AM 1:30 PM NCS GARAGE ACCESS SCREENING IN PROGRESS
12:00 PM 1:00 PM NCS ENGINE PRIME & FINAL ADJUSTMENTS (PIT ROAD)
1:30 PM TRACK SERVICES MEETING (RADIO CHANNEL ASSIGNMENT)
1:50 PM NCS DRIVERS REPORT TO VEHICLES (GRID LOCATION)
2:00 PM (3:00 PM) NCS RACE (STAGES 60/120/188 LAPS = 500 MILES )
7:30 PM Approx NCS HAULERS EXIT