Chase Briscoe Dominates Qualifying at Indianapolis and Secures Pole Position
Chase Briscoe made history by becoming the first driver to secure the pole position in all three of NASCAR’s crown jewel races in a single season. On Saturday, Briscoe secured the pole for the Brickyard 400 with a fast lap of 183.165 mph.
This achievement allowed him to surpass Bubba Wallace, who was originally leading the standings.
Briscoe, who has also won poles at the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 this season, will have the opportunity to complete the sweep of the crown races at the Southern 500 at the end of August.
This qualifying victory at the 2.5-mile oval of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway coincides with his sister’s wedding weekend in Indiana. Despite his successes, Briscoe has yet to win the Brickyard.
Wallace qualified second with a lap of 183.117 mph. Both drivers led a group of five Toyotas at the front of the grid, marking the first time this engine manufacturer has occupied the top five positions.
The qualifying session took place after a brief rescheduled practice session, as Friday’s practice was affected by rain.
Briscoe’s teammate, Ty Gibbs, has an advantage in the NASCAR’s first In-Season Challenge championship round, qualifying in fifth place with a speed of 182.445. Ty Dillon will start in the 26th position. The winner will be crowned champion and will take home a $1 million prize.
Denny Hamlin, winner of last week’s race, will face a significant challenge to win his first title at the Brickyard. After a hard crash during qualifying, he will start from the back of the grid, in 39th position, as he seeks to become the fifth driver to complete a sweep of the Cup crown races. Hamlin, 44 years old, signed a two-year contract extension with JGR on Friday.
The winner of the previous race, Kyle Larson, will start in 13th position.
