LONG POND, Pa. – For the second time this season, finishing 20th in the first half of a NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader paid dividends for Ryan Preece.
The JTG Daugherty Racing driver will start from the pole in Sunday’s Pocono 350 at Pocono Raceway, courtesy of an inversion of the top-20 finishers from Saturday’s 325-mile race at the tri-cornered race track.
Preece snagged the all-important 20th spot inside of 10 to go Saturday evening, after Joey Logano cut down a tire and fell out of the top half of the running order after making an unscheduled pit stop under green.
The Berlin, Conn., driver will be joined on the front row by Austin Dillon, with Kurt Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. starting third and fourth, respectively.
Chevrolets inhabit the top four positions on the grid for the second half of the weekend double.
The Fords of rookie Cole Custer and Ryan Newman make up row three, with William Byron, Matt DiBenedetto, Ryan Blaney and Matt Kenseth filling out the top 10 starters.
Saturday winner Kevin Harvick rolls off 20th after earning his first Pocono victory in the opening act of the twinbill. It was his 52nd career Cup Series win and third of the season.
Jimmie Johnson just missed the invert and starts 21st, while 2018 Cup champion Joey Logano rolls from 36th after his tire issue led to damage to the No. 22 Ford.
Sunday’s Pocono 350 is scheduled to go green at 4 p.m. ET, live on FS1, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
Starting lineup for the NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 350:
- Ryan Preece
- Austin Dillon
- Kurt Busch
- Ricky Stenhouse
- Cole Custer
- Ryan Newman
- William Byron
- Matt DiBenedetto
- Ryan Blaney
- Matt Kenseth
- Chris Buescher
- Brad Keselowski
- Michael McDowell
- Clint Bowyer
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Kyle Busch
- Christopher Bell
- Aric Almirola
- Denny Hamlin
- Kevin Harvick
- Jimmie Johnson
- Bubba Wallace
- Corey LaJoie
- John Hunter Nemechek
- Chase Elliott
- Ty Dillon
- Alex Bowman
- Daniel Suarez
- Brennan Poole
- Tyler Reddick
- JJ Yeley
- Josh Bilicki
- Garrett Smithley
- James Davison
- Timmy Hill
- Joey Logano
- Joey Gase
- Erik Jones
- BJ McLeod
- Quin Houff