CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Shane Van Gisbergen completed a Saturday qualifying sweep by winning the pole for both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series races.
Van Gisbergen is racing for the Xfinity Series title but will run his 10th Cup Series race of the season Sunday when he competes on the hybrid road course/oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The New Zealander is not one of the 12 drivers trying to advance in the Cup Series championship race. But he beat all the contenders in a Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing to take the top starting spot for Sunday’s playoff elimination race.
Tyler Reddick, the regular season champion and a title contender, qualified second in a Toyota for 23XI Racing. AJ Allmendinger, who is the reigning winner of The Roval Cup race and a perfect 4 for 4 at the track in the Xfinity Series, qualified third for Kaulig.
Allmendinger is also not racing for the Cup Series title, but he is in the Xfinity Series playoffs. That race was scheduled for later Saturday.
Joey Logano, who is below the elimination cut line headed into Sunday’s race, qualified fourth in a Ford for Team Penske. The field of 12 will be cut by four drivers Sunday and Logano, teammate Austin Cindric, Daniel Suarez and Chase Briscoe are all facing elimination.
Cindric qualified fifth in a Ford. He was followed by Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott in Chevrolets, then Brad Keselowski in an RFK Ford and Bubba Wallace in a 23XI Toyota. Keselowski was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round and Wallace didn’t make the field.
William Byron, the only playoff driver of the 12 already locked into the round of eight, qualified 10th for Hendrick.
Christopher Bell, in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, will start 12th and lock himself into the next playoff round once he takes the green flag. Suarez was 13th in a Chevrolet, reigning Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney was 14th in a Ford, Alex Bowman was 17th in a Chevrolet and Denny Hamlin was 18th in a Toyota.
Briscoe at 25th was the lowest-qualifying playoff driver.
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