Due to inclement weather, NASCAR had to cancel Cup Series qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday morning. This unfortunate event means that championship leader Tyler Reddick will be starting from pole position, with Kyle Larson by his side on the front row of the grid.
For Reddick, this will mark the fifth time in the first ten races of the 2026 season that the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota will be starting from pole position, with this being the second time due to a rainout (the first being at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta).
Instead of the traditional time trials, the starting lineup will be determined by a metric that takes into account a car’s place in the owner standings (30%) and its finish in the most recent race (70%).
Following Reddick and Larson on the grid will be Denny Hamlin in third, Bubba Wallace in fourth, and Chase Briscoe in fifth. The top ten will be rounded out by Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs, and Chris Buescher.
Unfortunately, with 41 entries for the race on Sunday, one car had to be sent home for the first time since the season-opener. The No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet, driven by Casey Mears, was the unlucky team to miss out, impacting Mears’ goal of reaching 500 career starts by the end of the year. This is the team’s second DNQ (Did Not Qualify) this year, having also missed the field for the Daytona 500.
Securing the 40th and final spot on the starting grid will be Daniel Dye, making his Cup Series debut in the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet.
The Jack Link’s 500 Starting Lineup for the NASCAR Cup at Talladega will feature an interesting mix of drivers, with Reddick and Larson leading the pack after the cancellation of qualifying.
