Throughout the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, the resounding success of Kyle Larson has remained a constant. In March, it was in Las Vegas that Larson earned his first win of the season and his first for Hendrick Motorsports. And it is in Las Vegas that Larson will try to win again to ensure himself an instant berth in the next round of the playoffs.
On Wednesday, NASCAR released the starting lineup for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, putting Kyle Larson on the pole for the first race of the Round of 12 by virtue of NASCAR’s qualifying metric, which sets the field based on an algorithm accounting for a driver’s finish and fastest lap in the previous race, as well as their points position.
Larson earned the top starting spot by virtue of a dramatic victory last week at Bristol, which saw him take the lead from Kevin Harvick in the closing laps.
Harvick starts fifth after his second-place finish last week, and he is separated from Chase Elliott by six spots on the starting grid. Both were the players in a heated post-race confrontation, as both felt they cost each other the win. Harvick made contact with Elliott in the race to the finish that resulted in a cut tire, and Elliott retaliated by holding Harvick up and allowing Larson to close in for the winning move.
South Point 400 starting lineup:
1. #5 – Kyle Larson
2. #12 – Ryan Blaney
3. #24 – William Byron
4. #19 – Martin Truex Jr.
5. #4 – Kevin Harvick
6. #11 – Denny Hamlin
7. #48 – Alex Bowman
8. #2 – Brad Keselowski
9. #22 – Joey Logano
10. #18 – Kyle Busch
11. #9 – Chase Elliott
12. #20 – Christopher Bell
13. #8 – Tyler Reddick
14. #21 – Matt DiBenedetto
15. #3 – Austin Dillon
16. #43 – Erik Jones
17. #10 – Aric Almirola
18. #42 – Ross Chastain
19. #14 – Chase Briscoe (R)
20. #1 – Kurt Busch
21. #23 – Bubba Wallace
22. #47 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
23. #34 – Michael McDowell
24. #37 – Ryan Preece
25. #17 – Chris Buescher
26. #99 – Daniel Suarez
27. #7 – Corey LaJoie
28. #41 – Cole Custer
29. #6 – Ryan Newman
30. #53 – Garrett Smithley
31. #52 – Josh Bilicki
32. #38 – Anthony Alfredo (R)
33. #77 – Justin Haley
34. #78 – B.J. McLeod
35. #51 – Cody Ware
36. #00 – Quin Houff
37. #15 – Joey Gase
38. #66 – J.J. Yeley
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