NASCAR at Daytona Postponed Until Sunday Due to Inclement Weather
Jul 6, 2019
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - JULY 06: The NASCAR Air Titan Track Drying Team works on the track before the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 06, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
Race officials postponed Saturday's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway because of inclement weather, NASCAR announced.
The green flag is now scheduled to drop at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Joey Logano will start from the pole. He's looking for his third victory of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup season and sits fourth in the playoff standings heading into the race.
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 was originally slated to start at 7:40 p.m. Steady rainfall made that impossible even as track officials worked to dry out the racing surface.
Still looking soggy around Daytona... waiting on the rain to see if we will get some racing in tonight. The news on @nbcbayarea follows with my good friend @KrisNBC right after pic.twitter.com/5imjwAu1xN
According toAccuWeather, the rain is expected to continue until around 10 p.m. Outside of a brief thunderstorm early Sunday morning, the conditions should be much more favorable leading up to race time. The rain won't return until around 7 p.m., by which time the event should have concluded.
Bowyer is right on the playoff cut line, his 431 points good for 16th place.
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 presents a great opportunity to get his first win of the season and secure a playoff berth. In 27 races at Daytona, Bowyer is without a checkered flag but has 12 top-10 finishes and four top-fives, perDriverAverages.com.
Likewise, Kevin Harvick is tied for the third-most points (610) but is eighth in the playoff standings because he has yet to get to Victory Lane. Given his record at Daytona (two wins and nine top-fives in 36 appearances) and starting position Sunday (fourth), Harvick will be among the top contenders.
NASCAR at Daytona 2019: Start Time, Ticket Info, Lineup, TV Schedule and More
Jul 5, 2019
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - JULY 04: William Byron, driver of the #24 Axalta Patriotic Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 04, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Curry/Getty Images)
The 2019 NASCAR season returns to the Daytona International Speedway in Florida for the Independence Day weekend at the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
A full 40-car field will compete in the 160-mile, 400-lap event, the 18th race out of 26 in the regular season.
On Friday, the Xfinity Series will also be in action in the Circle K Firecracker 250, before Saturday's main event in the Cup Series.
Schedule
Friday, July 5
3:35 p.m. ET: Xfinity Series Qualifying
5:05 p.m. ET: Cup Series Qualifying
7:30 p.m. ET: Circle K Firecracker 250 Race
Saturday, July 6
7:30 p.m. ET: Coke Zero Sugar 400 Race
TV Info:NBC (U.S.)
The full list of drivers competing in the racing at Daytona can be found on theNBC Sports website.
Tickets are available to purchase onStubHub and via the circuit's official websitefor the NASCAR event.
Preview
Erik Jones is the defending champion at the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and it's a role he's relishing upon his return, per WESH 2 News' Courtney Jasmin:
Erik Jones is the defending champion of the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Jones, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, earned his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory and a playoff spot in last year’s event. He will try to join the back-to-back club on Saturday pic.twitter.com/HTCYuEnTIN
A successful defence of his title would be a timely boost in a season that has been difficult at times.
While he's finished in the top four on four occasions, he has as many finishes in which he has ended a race in 29th place or lower, and he's yet to win one.
As a result, he finds himself 17th in the drivers' championship, outside the 16 who will advance to the playoffs.
A win would guarantee him a spot in the playoffs. While he's confident he can secure one, he can also qualify with enough points if he can finish the season strongly.
"I think for us our goal is 30 points a race," he said, per Motorsport.com's Jim Utter. "That's about a seventh-place finish. If we can do that every week, we will easily point our way in without a win. We know we can win a race."
Jones has looked promising in practice, and he was among the quickest in the final practice session behind only Martin Truex Jr., who came second last year, and Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, per NBC Sports' Dustin Long:
The drivers' championship leader is Joey Logano, who finished third last time out at the Chicagoland Speedway.
He opened up an 18-point gap on his closest rival Kyle Busch, who came 22nd.
The 29-year-old will hope to increase his lead further on Saturday, but Busch has also been strong in practice after going fastest in the first session.
Logano has crashed out of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in each of the last two years. If he suffers the same fate this time around, he could let his rivals back in.
NASCAR at Sonoma 2019: Start Time, Ticket Info, Lineup, TV Schedule and More
Jun 22, 2019
BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN - JUNE 10: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, poses with the winner's sticker after the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 10, 2019 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Joey Logano leads the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings by nine points and has travelled to Sonoma Raceway in California for Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 hoping to increase his advantage.
The defending champion won the FireKeepers Casino 400 in Brooklyn, Michigan, on June 10 and is out to win successive Cup Series races for the first time in nearly four years.
Second-place Kyle Busch has experience winning this race at Sonoma—something Logano doesn't—and both drivers have been in electric form.
BR Video
Joe Gibbs Racing star Busch has four wins to his name this season—more than any other driver in the series—and sits more than 60 points in front of third-place Brad Keselowski as he seeks to close the gap to Logano.
Monster Energy Cup Series qualifying, 3:10 p.m. ET (FS1, TSN)
Gander Outdoors Truck Series qualifying, 6:35 p.m. ET (FS2)
Gander Outdoors Truck Series CarShield 200, 10 p.m. ET (FS1)
Sunday, Feb. 24
Monster Energy Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350, 3 p.m. ET (FS1, TSN)
Preview
No driver has successfully defended a NASCAR Cup Series title since Jimmie Johnson won the crown five times in a row between 2006 and 2010, but Logano remains on course to repeat as champion.
The frequent turns at Sonoma promise to make things interesting, but Logano is in the mood to get back to winning races if his triumph in the FireKeepers Casino 400 was much to go by. Footage courtesy of Fox (U.S. only):
Logano ended a run of 11 events without a first-placed finish at Michigan International Speedway.
That win saw Logano record a first among NASCAR drivers this season. Reporter BobPockrass shared the 29-year-old's reaction after capitalizing upon his pole position:
Busch has two career victories in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 (2008, 2015) while older brother Kurt has one Sonoma win to his name.
However, the introduction of a carousel section between Turns 4 and 7 has added a complication. The official NASCAR website explained this alteration increases the track from 1.99 miles to its original 2.52-mile length.
The No. 18 Toyota driver came across a handful of issues during Friday's final practice and went off track at the carousel:
Nevertheless, Busch will dust himself down and still be in contention for the top prize come Sunday afternoon, having finished only one of his 15 races in 2019 outside the top 10.
Sonoma has a reputation for producing fireworks, and Fox highlighted some of the most memorable moments at this track:
Martin Truex Jr., sixth in the Cup Series standings, took first place at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 last year and will also be one to watch come Sunday.
He also has two career wins at Sonoma (2013, 2018) and has three Cup Series victories from the past seven races, not to mention he finished third in Michigan last time out.
NASCAR at Michigan 2019 Results: Joey Logano Captures 2nd Win of the Year
Jun 10, 2019
Joey Logano earned his second win of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup season, rolling to a dominant victory in the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Monday.
Logano led 163 of the 203 laps at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. This is his third checkered flag in 21 tries at Michigan.
A late caution opened the door for Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch to potentially steal a late win. However, Logano restarted perfectly and held off Kurt Busch and Truex to coast across the finish line.
Here are the top 10 finishers, with the full leaderboard available onNASCAR.com:
FireKeepers Casino 400 Leaderboard
1. Joey Logano
2. Kurt Busch
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Daniel Suarez
5. Kyle Busch
6. Brad Keselowski
7. Kevin Harvick
8. Ryan Newman
9. Ryan Blaney
10. Alex Bowman
This race was originally scheduled for Sunday, but inclement weather pushed the green flag into Monday evening. The track conditions presented a few challenges for drivers but didn't lead to an overly sloppy affair, with seven cautions spread across the FireKeepers Casino 400.
Logano looked set for a straightforward win as the day wound down, but Erik Jones made things a little more difficult. Jones hit the wall and spun out into the infield with four laps remaining.
That was the miracle Truex and Kurt and Kyle Busch needed as they were able to close the gap on Logano prior to the restart.
Any drama quickly faded, though, as Logano once again opened a healthy lead on the rest of the field and maintained his position.
Joey Logano holds off Kurt Busch! Retweet to congratulate the No. 22 team on their WIN in Michigan. pic.twitter.com/1dfs8mW2Up
"You race this whole race and you keep building that notebook up," Logano said of the result, per Performance Racing Network. "We had a great execution day, our pit crew was great, our race car was fast. Coming up here to Michigan, there's no better feeling to win in a Ford. This is a big one for us."
After a somewhat uneven start to the year, the reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup champion is rounding into form. He has five top-five finishes and seven top-10s in his last eight races.
Logano is nowfourthin the playoff standings, and his 564 points are thesecond-higheston the circuit.
Jimmie Johnson is the last driver to repeat as champion in 2010. The playoffs can be unforgiving since one poor result can doom a driver's title chances. But Logano looks to be in a good position to challenge for another points crown.
Clint Bowyer, on the other hand, is looking to turn his luck around.
Bowyer had five top-five finishes in the first 14 races of the season, yet hadn't reached Victory Lane. That stretch extended to 15 after he was unable to complete Monday's race. On Lap 130, he made contact with Jones and hit the wall.
Bowyer will have a week to cool off before he'll have to refocus for his next race. The Toyota/Save Mart 350 is June 23 at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California.
Fortunately for the 40-year-old, hisaverage finishof 10.08 in 13 races at Sonoma is his best of any active NASCAR track—excluding the Charlotte Roval, which has only seen one official event.
NASCAR at Michigan 2019 Qualifying Results: Joey Logano Wins Pole Position
Jun 8, 2019
Joey Logano captured his second pole of the season during NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, on Saturday.
Logano held off Aric Almirola, who finished just 0.019 seconds behind and will start on the outside of Row 1 in the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday:
Joey Logano makes his Ford friends very happy in Michigan! Retweet to congratulate the No. 22 team on their POLE. pic.twitter.com/2Isb2grl3d
Logano is a two-time winner at Michigan, and both wins came from the pole. Knowing that, Logano discussed the importance of starting on the inside of Row 1:
Kyle Busch, who leads the NASCAR Cup Series in points and in wins with four, only managed to qualify in 15th. Because of that, Logano has a legitimate chance to pass him in the points standings Sunday.
Logano is second in the standings and trails Busch by just four points. Busch also has just one win in 28 career starts at Michigan, making it one of the few tracks he hasn't dominated over the years.
Among drivers with at least seven career starts at Michigan, Logano has the best average finish at 12.5 behind only Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick.
Harvick is still in search of his first win of 2019, but he has a good chance to get it Sunday since he is starting third. Keselowski could tie Busch with his fourth win of the season if he is able to pick up the victory from the eighth starting spot.
Saturday was a big day for Stewart-Haas Racing, as all four of its drivers qualified ninth or better. Almirola (second), Harvick (third), Clint Bowyer (fifth) and Daniel Suarez (ninth) are all strong candidates to take the checkered flag Sunday.
NASCAR at Michigan 2019: Start Time, Ticket Info, Lineup, TV Schedule and More
Jun 8, 2019
BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN - JUNE 07: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Light Ford, drives during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 07, 2019 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Kyle Busch's quest to earn his 10th top-10 finish of the 2019 NASCAR season got off to a great start Friday.
The NASCAR Monster Energy Series points leader ended up second in the final practice for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
Kevin Harvick led the field with the best lap time of 38.143 seconds at a speed of 188.763 miles per hour.
Joey Logano, who is Busch's closest competition for the top spot in the points standings, has some work to do during Saturday's qualifying to match the production of the No. 18 car after he placed 12th in final practice.
FireKeepers Casino 400 Information
Qualifying: Saturday, 12:05 p.m. ET
Race Start Time: Sunday, 2 p.m. ET
TV: Saturday 12:05 to 1:45 p.m. ET on FS1, Sunday 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET on FS1
Busch comes into Michigan in some of the best recent form of the drivers in the Monster Energy Series.
BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN - JUNE 07: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Hazelnut Toyota, drives during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 07, 2019 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by
After taking 30th in Kansas, Busch placed third at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte and won the Pocono 400 a week ago.
Although he appears to be in good shape after his strong practice run, Busch has to put together an impressive overall weekend to keep his lead in the standings.
Logano enters Sunday four points behind the driver of the No. 18 car, while Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Harvick are all within 68 points of Busch.
Of the drivers in the top five in the standings, Harvick is most in need of a good result at Michigan.
Harvick, who is the only driver in the top seven of the points standings without a win in 2019, is coming off a 22nd-place finish at Pocono.
The driver of the No. 4 car has two finishes inside the top five in his last eight races, but that form appears to be turning in a different direction after Friday's practice.
LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 31: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Light Father's Day Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway on May 31, 2019 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Im
Michigan seems like the perfect track for Harvick to get back into top-five form, as he won the August race at the track in 2018.
Harvick's Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Clint Bowyer, who finished third in Friday's practice, is the defending champion of the June race at Michigan.
Bowyer's win a year ago ended a three-race winning streak by Kyle Larson at the track. Larson landed 14th in Friday's practice.
Beneath Harvick, Busch and Bowyer on the list of practice times were Daniel Suarez, Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch, Erik Jones, Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr. and Alex Bowman.
What stands out when looking at the practice grid is four of the top five times were recorded by Stewart-Haas Racing cars, with Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota the only car able to break their dominance.
That is a good sign for Harvick and his teammates heading into qualifying and the race itself.
If you were to pick a winner now, Harvick and Bowyer seem like the best options because of their 2018 success at the track and early results on race weekend.
Kyle Busch must be considered in the mix to win the FireKeepers Casino 400 because of his overall season form, but he might not have enough horsepower and help at the front of the field to get past the Stewart-Haas cars Sunday.
NASCAR at Charlotte 2019 Results: Martin Truex Jr. Wins Coca-Cola 600
May 26, 2019
Crew members lift Martin Truex Jr.'s car to change a flat tire during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Sunday, May 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)
Martin Truex Jr. won his third Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race in five tries as he took down the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.
Truex, who won the Toyota Owners 400 and Gander RV 400 in the past six weeks, led for 116 laps and took down Stage 3.
Joey Logano will hold on to first place in the season-long Monster Energy NASCAR Cup standings after finishing second in Charlotte. He managed a top-two finish despite never finishing top six in the first three stages or leading a lap at any point.
Kyle Busch led for the second-most laps (79) and took third. Brad Keselowski, who won the first and second stages, finished 19th.
Here's a look at the top-10 finishers as well as highlights and reaction:
1. Martin Truex Jr.
2. Joey Logano
3. Kyle Busch
4. Chase Elliott
5. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
6. Chris Buescher
7. Alex Bowman
8. Jimmie Johnson
9. William Byron
10. Kevin Harvick
Highlights and Reaction
Truex was the center of attention for much of the race, none more notably than when he made a four-wide pass within the final five laps to take first.
Brandon Marks of the Charlotte Observer described the action:
"When a caution came out with 10 laps left, that set up a five-lap dash to the finish and an insane restart. David Ragan opted not to pit, instead setting up a situation where Truex and challenger Joey Logano had to battle to get by one another. Truex made a risky pass going four-wide, and Logano hit him in the rear bumper, shaking the No. 19 loose.
"But Truex, somehow, hung on. He steadied himself. Stabilized what had been anything but a stable race. And from there, Truex only had to drive away for his second 600 victory."
Truex had an eventful night. He made contact with Bayley Currey, ending the latter driver's night early:
Currey's team didn't seem pleased, per comments that RACER writer Kelly Crandall relayed:
Currey was spun off Turn 2 by Truex, sending the 52 to the inside wall. Currey is climbing out of the car as the team says that Truex’s spotter came over and said “it just took off on him.” Someone from the 52 replies, “looks like he needed a caution to me.” #NASCAR
Truex also wasn't happy with Chase Elliott earlier in the race:
Martin Truex didn’t appreciate Chase Elliott sliding up in front of him, forcing Truex off the throttle coming off the corner. Pearn concurs, “that was a bit much.” Truex said he’ll ride Elliott’s door and spin him out, “f—k it.” #NASCAR
He ended up winning his second Coke 600, though, despite some earlier pessimism. He was ninth after Stage 1 and 12th following Stage 2.
Martin Truex Jr. is a 2-time winner of the #CocaCola600: "I don't know how we did it. We blew that right front tire early and thought 'that's not good.' These 1.5s have been tough on us this year, Kansas was a reality check for us."
Logano didn't fare well in the beginning but saved his best for last en route to a second-place finish. He credited his pit crew for a job well done.
Joey Logano: "Had a rough start to this thing, guys did a good job fixing it up so we were competitive at the end. That's all you can ask for...To be that close to the Coke 600, that's a really big deal as a Coke driver."
Despite the 19th-place mark, his night was better than those of Austin Dillon, Kyle Larson and Clint Bowyer, however, as those three crashed near the end. No injuries were reported.
NASCAR heads to Pocono Raceway for the Pocono 400 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. FS1 will televise the race.
Look: NASCAR Champion Joey Logano Visits Donald Trump at the White House
Apr 30, 2019
President Donald Trump, right, speaks as he welcomes Joey Logano, left, the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, to the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, April 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
NASCAR driver Joey Logano was honored at the White House Tuesday after winning the Monster Energy Cup Series title last year.
He got to spend some time next to President Donald Trump, as well as the trophy and his No. 22 car parked right in front of the building.
Although several sports teams have turned down the opportunity to celebrate titles with Trump, Logano was seemingly happy to be there.
"I gotta pinch myself to think what I'm doing here right now," the driver said, per Jeff Gluck.
Meanwhile, Trump praised Logano, saying his Ford went "a little faster than the other ones, but it also had to do with your right foot," via TMZ Sports.
The president was also gifted a racing helmet from last season:
Driver Joey Logano presents Pres Trump with a team racing helmet. He didn't try it on, as he did the team cap given him yesterday by the Baylor Lady Bears. pic.twitter.com/oonaiqZKwe
The NASCAR season continues in Dover International Speedway in Delaware on Sunday, a relatively short trip for Logano from Washington, D.C.
Martin Truex Jr. Holds Off Joey Logano to Win NASCAR at Richmond 2019
Apr 13, 2019
RICHMOND, VA - APRIL 13: Martin Truex Jr, driver of the #19 Auto Owners Insurance Toyota, takes the checkered flag to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on April 13, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Martin Truex Jr. captured the checkered flag in the 2019 Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on Saturday, marking his first short-track victory in 81 tries.
The title is also Truex Jr.'s first win as a member of Joe Gibbs Racing, and it wasn't an easy one.
Truex Jr. led for 186 laps in total, more than any other car, but had to stave off a surge from Joey Logano. The No. 22 car won Stage 2, but Truex Jr. recaptured the lead with a speedy maneuvering off pit road. Clint Bowyer crossed the finish line third but was on Truex Jr.'s tail with 30 laps to go.
All told, Logano held the lead for 52 laps, while Bowyer was never quite able to get ahead. The difference between first and third place was just 0.521 seconds.
Overall, there were eight lead changes and four different leaders throughout the 400 laps.
Kevin Harvick had won the pole at Friday's qualifying in Richmond, Virginia, but finished fourth after leading for 31 laps to begin. Four of the top 10 finishers from the qualifying round were penalized for failing the pre-race inspection and had to start from the rear: Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez and Jimmie Johnson.
Among that group, Jimmie Johnson's 12th place finish was the best.
Truex Jr. was the pole winner at the 2018 Toyota Owners 400, but Kyle Busch won last year's race. Busch finished in eighth place on Saturday night after winning the first stage and leading for 101 laps.
Even so, Busch has finished inside the top-10 in all Cup Series races this season—the only driver to do so. Saturday night was his ninth consecutive top-10 race, and he sits atop the standings in the Monster Energy NASCAP Cup Series.
The win did wonders for Truex Jr., who sat 107 points behind first-place Busch heading into Richmond.
As far as owners, this season has been dominated by Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske. Truex Jr. notched Joe Gibbs Racing's sixth win in nine races this season, while Logano is a Penske driver.
Looking forward in the Cup Series, the Geico 500 hits Talladega Superspeedway in Talledega, Alabama, beginning on April 26.
NASCAR at Martinsville 2019 Qualifying Results: Joey Logano Takes Pole Position
Mar 23, 2019
Joey Logano drives during the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at ISM Raceway, Sunday, March 10, 2019, in Avondale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ralph Freso)
Joey Logano beat out Aric Almirola on Saturday to capture the pole for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia.
The pole marks the first of the season for Logano, who is just a few weeks removed from picking up his first win of the year in Las Vegas:
Logano won the fall race at Martinsville last season, and his average finish of 13.2 at the track is fifth-best among active drivers behind only Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch.
After securing the pole, Logano expressed how much he enjoys running at Martinsville:
Most big-name drivers made it through the first round of qualifying Saturday, although Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Austin Dillon weren't so fortunate, as they qualified 25th and 30th, respectively.
Stenhouse narrowly missed reaching the second round by one spot, and he admitted that it was a disappointing performance:
More top stars faltered in the second round than the first with Kyle Busch standing out most in that regard. He will start in the 14th position, which is somewhat surprising since he is coming off two consecutive victories.
Ryan Blaney also struggled in the second round and qualified 18th, but he did well to prevent disaster from striking when his car got loose:
Most of the drivers who are considered top championship contenders made it to the final round of qualifying, but none of them could hang with Logano, who posted a top speed of 97.830 mph.
Almirola's performance may have raised the most eyebrows since he is off to a great start this season with four top-10 finishes in five races, which has him sixth in the standings.
While Almirola only has two career Cup Series wins, his performance so far this season and in qualifying Saturday suggests he will be a threat to win Sunday.
With Logano's track record at Martinsville, however, there is little doubt that he is the driver to beat entering the STP 500.
