Kyle Larson may not have landed the pole at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, but the Hendrick Motorsports driver left Saturday’s qualifying session smiling.
Piloting the No. 5 Chevrolet, Larson locked down a front-row starting spot with a second-place effort on a track that Hendrick has long marked as one of its tougher challenges.
“Absolutely, yeah. This is really great. I think our team needs it more than anything,” Larson said. “We haven’t been able to celebrate a whole lot. We will definitely celebrate a front row starting spot at Gateway.”
“Yeah, happy about that. My car felt pretty good there, I felt like in practice, and still room to be even better. Yeah, good day, and hopefully we can be one spot better tomorrow.”
The performance gives Hendrick Motorsports some much-needed momentum heading into Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event, where Larson hopes to finally break a winless stretch that dates back to late May.
Kyle Larson Seeks to End Winless Stretch and Reignite Playoff Push
According to Toby Christie, “the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion has already racked up three wins this season. However, none have come since the week before his grueling Indianapolis 500/Coca-Cola 600 double attempt, which ended in disappointment. Since then, Larson has been looking for a spark to regain his dominant early-season form.”
A front-row start at Gateway may be just what the doctor ordered. The track has historically been a sticking point for Hendrick Motorsports.
But Larson believes both his car and his crew are in position to deliver a turnaround. With the Playoffs heating up, the timing couldn’t be better.
Denny Hamlin Grabs the Pole, Briscoe Surprises Himself
While Larson will roll off second, the top spot went to Denny Hamlin. The veteran, fresh off winning the pole at Darlington last weekend, backed it up with another sharp qualifying run at Gateway. Hamlin’s 32.330-second lap (139.190 mph) was enough to secure his third pole of the year and the 46th of his storied NASCAR Cup career.
Behind him, Chase Briscoe admitted he didn’t think much of his lap, until he realized it was good enough for third-fastest.
“I felt like, I thought I could have been on the pole. I just did not put a very good lap together,” Briscoe said. “I was surprised that it honestly ended up being third. Just a testament to our Bass Pro Shops Toyota, as fast as it’s been.”
“So, yeah, we got at least a good starting spot for tomorrow. It’ll be a good pit spot. This pit road is really tricky; it’s kind of underrated. It’ll be a good start for our day, and hopefully we can keep it up there.”
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Contenders Crowd the Top Ten
The Gateway qualifying board reflects just how competitive the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs field is. William Byron, another Hendrick driver, will start sixth. Tyler Reddick slotted into seventh, Christopher Bell in eighth, and Austin Cindric in ninth.
With so many Playoff drivers stacked near the front, Sunday’s race has all the makings of a battle where track position will be crucial.
For Larson, starting on the front row not only gives him clean air to work with but also a chance to put Hendrick Motorsports back in Victory Lane at a track that’s been anything but kind in the past.
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