The starting lineup and pole for Monday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway were set by the same procedure that determined the starting lineup for the last four Cup Series races, all of which were scheduled to run without prior practice or qualifying sessions.
The starting grid for Monday’s race at Talladega, scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET and broadcast live on Fox, features three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers in the first four starting spots as a result of the procedure that utilizes a combination of points standings and a random draw to set the lineup.
MORE: Updated 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule
As for pit stall selection for the NASCAR Cup Series races being run without qualifying, it is ordered based on finishing positions from the series’ previous race, followed by new entries in order of points. So Homestead winner Denny Hamlin had the first pit stall selection for Monday’s race at Talladega and chose the No. 1 stall.
Below is the starting lineup for Monday’s NASCAR race at Talladega and how it was set.
Who won the pole for the NASCAR race at Talladega?
For the second consecutive week, a JGR driver is on the pole thanks to a random draw for starting positions. Martin Truex Jr. will roll off first at Talladega, and he will be surrounded by his own teammates.
Denny Hamlin, who drew the pole for last week’s race at Homestead on his way to a victory, will join Truex on the front row to start the Talladega race. Behind them will be teammate Kyle Busch, who drew the No. 3 position, and Hendrick Motorsports’ Jimmie Johnson.
Below is the protocol for how the Cup Series field was set at Talladega:
Positions 1-12: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points Positions 13-24: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points Positions 25-36: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points Positions 37-40: Open teams in order of owners points
NASCAR starting lineup at Talladega
The same protocol that set the lineup for Monday’s Talladega race will be used for all NASCAR Cup Series races currently confirmed on the 2020 schedule. NASCAR is proceeding without qualifying and practice sessions prior to races in an effort to limit time spent at the track amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The only exception will be next week’s Sunday race at Pocono, which is the second leg of a doubleheader. An front-half inversion of the results from the Saturday race will determine the starting lineup for Sunday’s race.
As for Monday’s race at Talladega, the draw for the starting lineup took place Thursday. Below are the results:
