Preece on the Pole at Richmond: Eyes Playoffs in NASCAR Cup

Ryan Preece Leads the Field at Richmond, Seeking a Playoff Berth

Driver Ryan Preece secured the pole position for Saturday’s night race at Richmond Raceway, in an attempt to secure his place in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Preece earned his second pole position in 212 Cup races, with a lap at 121.381 mph on the 0.75-mile oval aboard his No. 60 Ford.

What a great car!

Ryan Preece

The previous pole position for Preece was at Martinsville Speedway in April 2023. With two races remaining in the regular season, Preece can still qualify for the playoffs through the points standings, but a win would guarantee him an automatic spot.Tyler Reddick, who could secure his place in the playoffs with a good result on Saturday, qualified in second place.AJ Allmendinger will start third despite his No. 16 Chevrolet failing pre-race inspection twice, resulting in the loss of his pit stall selection and the ejection of crew chief Jaron Antley.Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five in the standings. In addition to Preece, Reddick, and Allmendinger, six other winless drivers qualified in the top 15:

• Brad Keselowski (sixth)
• Alex Bowman (ninth)
• Michael McDowell (tenth)
• Austin Dillon (eleventh)
• Chris Buescher (twelfth)
• Carson Hocevar (fifteenth)

It will be more difficult for Ty Gibbs (22nd) and Kyle Busch (28th) to advance.Joey Logano, three-time Cup champion and two-time Richmond winner, will start last on the 38-car grid after failing to complete a qualifying lap. Logano hit the wall in Turn 4 during practice due to a problem with the front right tire of his No. 22 Ford. The starting position is crucial in Richmond, which tends to have long green flag runs, where it’s easy to get a lap down. Last August’s race had only three caution flags, matching the fewest on a short track since the Next Gen car debuted in 2022.