Bristol Pole

Alex Bowman will lead the field to the green flag in Saturday night’s playoff elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway after scoring his first pole of the Cup season Friday.

Bowman lapped the .5-mile concrete track in 13.983 seconds, a blistering speed that left little doubt about who would take the top spot. His teammates William Byron and Chase Elliott took the second and third positions, respectively, to complete the Hendrick sweep.

“It’s an awesome feeling to get the pole here,” Bowman said after his qualifying run. “We’ve had some struggles this year, but we’ve been working hard to get it turned around. I’m proud of everyone on our team for their effort.”

Bowman and his teammates have been a force to be reckoned with at Bristol Motor Speedway in recent years. In 2022, Byron won the pole and finished third in the playoff elimination race, while Elliott took the win.

“We’ve had some success here before, but it’s always special to get the pole,” Bowman said. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow night’s race.”

The NASCAR Cup Series drivers will take to the track Saturday evening for the playoff elimination race. The event is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be watched live on NBC.

As for the playoff standings, Kevin Harvick currently leads with a 3-point advantage over Joey Logano. Martin Truex Jr. sits third, just 1 point behind Logano.

“I’m really proud of our team for getting me to this position,” Bowman said about his chances in the playoffs. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but we’re ready for it.”

In addition to Bowman, Byron and Elliott’s strong qualifying runs, other notable drivers include Ryan Blaney (fifth), Kyle Busch (sixth), and Denny Hamlin (ninth).

The top 10 starting lineup is as follows:

1. Alex Bowman
2. William Byron
3. Chase Elliott
4. Ryan Blaney
5. Kyle Larson
6. Kyle Busch
7. Christopher Bell
8. Tyler Reddick
9. Denny Hamlin
10. Aric Almirola

The NASCAR Cup Series playoff elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway is expected to be a thrilling event, with many drivers fighting for their lives in the postseason. Will Bowman’s pole position prove to be an advantage, or will one of his Hendrick teammates steal the show? Only time will tell.