Tyler Reddick posted a blistering lap at 99.378 mph to earn his second career NASCAR Cup Series pole for Sunday’s race (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course earlier Saturday morning.
The third-year driver posted a fast lap at 99.378 mph, besting second-place starter Austin Cindric (99.095 mph) by 0.252 seconds for Reddick’s second career pole. Reddick scored his first pole at Circuit of The Americas in March 2021 and earned his first Cup Series victory at Road America on July 3.
Completing the top five for Sunday’s Verizon 200 at The Brickyard (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) were Chase Briscoe (98.962 mph), Christopher Bell (98.721 mph) and Joey Logano (98.476 mph).
Blaney completed the Team Penske hat trick as all three of their Fords advanced to the final round of qualifying and will roll off sixth on Sunday. Both of Front Row Motorsports’ Fords advanced as well, as Michael McDowell qualified seventh and rookie Todd Gilliland ninth. Road ace Chase Elliott posted the eighth-best lap and Kyle Busch qualified 10th.
Despite each driver winning a road race this season, neither of Trackhouse Racing’s entries broke into the top 10 in Indianapolis qualifying. Sonoma winner Daniel Suárez qualified 11th and Ross Chastain, who was victorious at COTA, takes the green from 21st.
Former Formula One driver Daniil Kyvat makes his NASCAR Cup Series debut Sunday piloting the No. 26 Toyota for Team Hezemans and qualified 36th in the 38-car field. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will start 38th.
PRACTICE
Austin Cindric and Christopher Bell paced Groups A and B, respectively, in Saturday morning’s practice sessions. Overall, Cindric’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford at 98.467 mph was over Daniel Suárez, Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain and Bell.
The sessions were run without major issue, though some drivers learned the Next Gen’s braking points were different than they expected around the 2.439-mile road course. Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe both went deep into the braking zone in Turn 1 and were forced to make U-turns, while Erik Jones did the same in Turn 12.
Corey LaJoie and Cody Ware each spun their cars at the exit of Turn 11 but suffered no damage.
