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Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing has captured the pole position for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), marking a significant achievement as he aims to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win the opening three races of a season. Reddick’s blistering lap time in qualifying sets him at the forefront of a highly competitive field, with Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing set to start alongside him on the front row.
Reddick, piloting the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD, posted a best lap of 1 minute 37.76 seconds, a time that proved insurmountable for his rivals. This pole position not only bolsters his quest for an unprecedented season start but also underscores his prowess on road courses, a discipline where he has consistently demonstrated strong performance.
"I maybe should have called my shot earlier, but some pressure comes with that," Reddick stated following his qualifying effort. "I love going fast and road courses are a lot of fun in qualifying. Just proud of everyone’s effort here. I don’t know where Shane is starting, but I just need to get as much of a head start on him as I can and try to stay ahead of him all day." This quote highlights Reddick’s competitive mindset and his strategic awareness of his competitors, particularly his fellow front-row starter and a formidable road course racer.
Ross Chastain, driving the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing, secured the second starting spot, demonstrating the strength of his team’s preparation for the challenging COTA circuit. Chastain, who claimed his maiden Cup Series victory at COTA in 2022, expressed surprise at his qualifying result, attributing part of his success to the performance of his teammate.
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"I didn’t know what was happening," Chastain commented on his qualifying run. "I followed Shane out, and his Safety Culture colors were actually getting closer. It was something I’ve never experienced on a road course. He’s helped me so much, so to go execute for our #1 team with (crew chief) Brandon McSwain, I feel like the car performed how we wanted it to there." Chastain’s remarks point to the collaborative efforts within Trackhouse Racing and the influence of his teammate, Shane van Gisbergen, on his performance.
Adding further intrigue to the front of the grid, Chase Briscoe will start third, followed by Ryan Blaney in fourth, and Chase Elliott rounding out the top five. These drivers represent a mix of established contenders and strong road course specialists, promising a dynamic race at the front.
The remainder of the top ten qualifiers include Michael McDowell, AJ Allmendinger, Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs, and William Byron. This diverse group reflects the competitive nature of the NASCAR Cup Series, with multiple teams and manufacturers represented.
Notably, three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen, who has been a dominant force on road and street courses in his nascent NASCAR career, will start 13th. Van Gisbergen is attempting to extend an impressive streak of six consecutive wins on road or street circuits in NASCAR national series competition. His starting position, while not on the front row, places him in a position to potentially make significant gains during the race, especially given his proven ability to navigate traffic and execute bold passes.
In the qualifying session, the field was divided into two groups for a 20-minute qualifying run each, with the fastest qualifier in each group advancing to the final pole shootout.
Group A Highlights:
Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) initially set a strong pace in Group A, leading the charts with a time of 1 minute 38.25 seconds. However, Michael McDowell, who had also led practice sessions, improved upon Gibbs’ time, posting a 1:38.14s lap. Christopher Bell, Gibbs’ teammate at JGR, also put in a competitive effort but ultimately fell short of McDowell’s mark by 0.057 seconds, placing him in a strong starting position but not challenging for the pole from this group.
During Group A qualifying, Kyle Busch experienced a brief excursion into the gravel at the end of his first flying lap. Rookie Connor Zilisch, making his mark in his first Cup Series season and currently last in points among full-time drivers, faced the challenge of a demanding track. He encountered a minor error on his initial lap, costing him valuable tenths, but managed to rebound with an improved performance, securing 10th place within his group. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. narrowly avoided a spin through the challenging esses section, managing to regain control of his No. 47 Chevrolet.
Group B Highlights:
Group B featured the majority of the series’ top drivers, including van Gisbergen and the aforementioned contenders for the pole. Brad Keselowski was among the first to venture onto the track, but many drivers opted to wait until the latter half of the session to set their quickest times.
Joey Logano was an early improver in Group B, breaking into the top ten. AJ Allmendinger, a highly respected road course racer, demonstrated his capabilities by challenging the leading times from Group A, narrowly missing out on the top spot by a mere 0.005 seconds and briefly holding second place.
The intensity escalated as several drivers posted fast laps, with Chase Elliott initially taking the provisional pole. However, Tyler Reddick quickly surpassed Elliott’s time, becoming the first driver to break the 1:37-second barrier with his 1:37.76s lap. Chase Briscoe followed closely, securing second position in the session but remaining nearly two tenths behind Reddick.
Ross Chastain mounted a strong challenge for the pole, running close to Reddick’s pace. However, a lock-up on his final corner marred his effort, preventing him from potentially taking the top spot. He ultimately secured second place, finishing just over a tenth behind Reddick. Shane van Gisbergen’s qualifying performance was a surprise, as he was unable to match the pace of the front-runners, qualifying 19th on his first attempt and improving to 13th on his second, indicating a potentially more challenging race for the Supercars legend.
The starting lineup for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA is as follows:
- Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)
- Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)
- Chase Briscoe (Stewart-Haas Racing)
- Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)
- Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)
- Michael McDowell (Front Row Motorsports)
- AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing)
- Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)
- Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)
- William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)
- Noah Gragson (Stewart-Haas Racing)
- Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)
- Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing)
- Justin Haley (Rick Ware Racing)
- Daniel Suárez (Trackhouse Racing)
- Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)
- Joey Logano (Team Penske)
- Austin Cindric (Team Penske)
- Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing)
- Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing)
- Martin Truex Jr. (Joe Gibbs Racing)
- Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
- Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club)
- Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports)
- Connor Zilisch (Trackhouse Racing)
- Josh Berry (Stewart-Haas Racing)
- Harrison Burton (Wood Brothers Racing)
- Corey LaJoie (Spire Motorsports)
- Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)
- Chris Buescher (RFK Racing)
- Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)
- Jimmie Johnson (Legacy Motor Club)
- Kaz Grala (Rick Ware Racing)
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing)
- Zane Smith (Front Row Motorsports)
- John Hunter Nemechek (Legacy Motor Club)
The race at COTA presents a significant test for all drivers, with its demanding road course layout and the high stakes of the early season championship battle. Reddick’s pole position places him in an advantageous spot, but the depth of talent and the unpredictable nature of COTA suggest that Sunday’s event will be a closely contested affair. The performance of drivers like Chastain, Briscoe, Elliott, and the enigmatic Shane van Gisbergen will be closely watched as they aim to challenge Reddick’s bid for a historic start to the season.
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