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NASCAR Cup COTA: Byron beats Gibbs to pole

Byron, who was fastest overall in Saturday’s extended practice, carried that speed into qualifying.

He was fastest in the first round and his average lap speed of 94.696 mph was good enough to top Gibbs (94.685 mph), who was the last car to complete a lap.

The pole is Byron’s first of the 2024 season and 13th of his career having started from pole in the same race a year ago, leading 28 laps and finishing fifth.

“We’ve just got to go through the process of the race,” Byron said. “Just manage the runs, have enough long run speed. I feel we got a good balance with our car.

“We’ve been struggling to have smooth races, so this is a good start.”

Tyler Reddick ended up third, Christopher Bell fourth and Corey Lajoie rounded out the top five.

Completing the top 10 line-up are Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace, who spun out on his first qualifying attempt in the final round.

CLA DRIVER # MANUFACTURER LAPS TIME INTERVAL MPH
1 W. ByronHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS 24 Chevrolet 3

2'09.636

  94.696
2 54 Toyota 3

+0.015

2'09.651

0.015 94.685
3 T. Reddick23XI RACING 45 Toyota 3

+0.180

2'09.816

0.165 94.565
4 C. BellJOE GIBBS RACING 20 Toyota 1

+0.294

2'09.930

0.114 94.482
5 C. LajoieSPIRE MOTORSPORTS 7 Chevrolet 3

+0.827

2'10.463

0.533 94.096
6 R. ChastainTRACKHOUSE RACING 1 Chevrolet 1

+1.031

2'10.667

0.204 93.949
7 M. Truex JrJOE GIBBS RACING 19 Toyota 1

+1.276

2'10.912

0.245 93.773
8 D. HamlinJOE GIBBS RACING 11 Toyota 3

+1.512

2'11.148

0.236 93.604
9 C. ElliottHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS 9 Chevrolet 1

+1.771

2'11.407

0.259 93.420
10 B. Wallace23XI RACING 23 Toyota 1

+13.934

2'23.570

12.163 85.505

Round 1 / Group B

Byron led the first round with an average lap speed of 95.079 mph.

Bell was second fastest (94.954 mph) and Chastain was third (94.791 mph). Also advancing to the final round of qualifying were Elliott and Truex, who knocked Austin Cindric out of the final transfer spot in the last minute.

Among those who failed to advance were Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman and Kamui Kobayashi.

Joey Logano and Daniel Suarez each one of his qualifying attempts disallowed during the session for short cutting the course in Turn 5.

CLA DRIVER # MANUFACTURER LAPS TIME INTERVAL MPH
1 W. ByronHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS 24 Chevrolet 1

2'09.114

  95.079
2 C. BellJOE GIBBS RACING 20 Toyota 1

+0.170

2'09.284

0.170 94.954
3 R. ChastainTRACKHOUSE RACING 1 Chevrolet 1

+0.392

2'09.506

0.222 94.791
4 C. ElliottHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS 9 Chevrolet 3

+0.438

2'09.552

0.046 94.757
5 M. Truex JrJOE GIBBS RACING 19 Toyota 3

+0.504

2'09.618

0.066 94.709
6 A. CindricTEAM PENSKE 2 Ford 3

+0.512

2'09.626

0.008 94.703
7 J. HaleyRICK WARE RACING 51 Ford 3

+0.870

2'09.984

0.358 94.442
8 K. LarsonHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS 5 Chevrolet 3

+1.064

2'10.178

0.194 94.302
9 A. BowmanHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS 48 Chevrolet 4

+1.076

2'10.190

0.012 94.293
10 D. SuarezTRACKHOUSE RACING 99 Chevrolet 4

+1.116

2'10.230

0.040 94.264
11 A. DillonRICHARD CHILDRESS RACING 3 Chevrolet 3

+1.162

2'10.276

0.046 94.231
12 K. GralaRICK WARE RACING 15 Ford 3

+1.370

2'10.484

0.208 94.081
13 K. Kobayashi23XI RACING 50 Toyota 3

+1.399

2'10.513

0.029 94.060
14 M. McDowellFRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS 34 Ford 3

+1.434

2'10.548

0.035 94.034
15 H. BurtonWOOD BROTHERS RACING 21 Ford 4

+1.737

2'10.851

0.303 93.817
16 J. BerrySTEWART-HAAS RACING 4 Ford 3

+1.833

2'10.947

0.096 93.748
17 D. HemricKAULIG RACING 31 Chevrolet 3

+2.188

2'11.302

0.355 93.494
18 J. LoganoTEAM PENSKE 22 Ford 3

+3.052

2'12.166

0.864 92.883
19 T. HillMBM 66 Ford 2

+6.625

2'15.739

3.573 90.438
20 N. GragsonSTEWART-HAAS RACING 10 Ford 1

+36.746

2'45.860

30.121 74.014

Round 1 / Group A

Toyotas led the way in Group A with Reddick topping the speed chart with an average lap speed of 95.065 mph.

Gibbs was second quick (95.018 mph) while Reddick’s team-mate Wallace was third (94.741 mph). Also advancing to the final round of qualifying were Hamlin and LaJoie.

“To have legitimate pace on a road course is something we’re really proud of. We’ve worked so hard,” LaJoie said. “And then you have Kamui (Kobayashi) and SVG, real world-class racers coming into NASCAR with fast cars.”

Among those who failed to advance were three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen and his Kaulig Racing team-mate, A.J. Allmendinger.

Following van Gisbergen’s first qualifying attempt he missed the entrance to pit road and had to go back around the track before making a second attempt. He came up just short of LaJoie for the final transfer position.

Michael McDowell had one of his qualifying attempts disallowed during the session for short cutting the course.

CLA DRIVER # MANUFACTURER LAPS TIME INTERVAL MPH
1 T. Reddick23XI RACING 45 Toyota 1

2'09.133

  95.065
2
T. GibbsJOE GIBBS RACING
54 Toyota 1

+0.064

2'09.197

0.064 95.018
3 B. Wallace23XI RACING 23 Toyota 3

+0.441

2'09.574

0.377 94.741
4 D. HamlinJOE GIBBS RACING 11 Toyota 1

+0.801

2'09.934

0.360 94.479
5 C. LajoieSPIRE MOTORSPORTS 7 Chevrolet 1

+0.804

2'09.937

0.003 94.477
6 S. van GisbergenKAULIG RACING 16 Chevrolet 4

+0.811

2'09.944

0.007 94.471
7 A. AllmendingerKAULIG RACING 13 Chevrolet 4

+1.025

2'10.158

0.214 94.316
8 K. BuschRICHARD CHILDRESS RACING 8 Chevrolet 3

+1.068

2'10.201

0.043 94.285
9
C. HocevarSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
77 Chevrolet 4

+1.200

2'10.333

0.132 94.189
10 C. BuescherRFK RACING 17 Ford 3

+1.317

2'10.450

0.117 94.105
11 J. NemechekLEGACY MOTOR CLUB 42 Toyota 3

+1.435

2'10.568

0.118 94.020
12 R. PreeceSTEWART-HAAS RACING 41 Ford 3

+1.459

2'10.592

0.024 94.003
13 T. GillilandFRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS 38 Ford 3

+1.509

2'10.642

0.050 93.967
14 R. BlaneyTEAM PENSKE 12 Ford 3

+1.511

2'10.644

0.002 93.965
15 R. Stenhouse JrJTG DAUGHERTY RACING 47 Chevrolet 3

+1.609

2'10.742

0.098 93.895
16 C. BriscoeSTEWART-HAAS RACING 14 Ford 4

+1.685

2'10.818

0.076 93.840
17
Z. SmithSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
71 Chevrolet 4

+1.719

2'10.852

0.034 93.816
18 B. KeselowskiRFK RACING 6 Ford 4

+2.019

2'11.152

0.300 93.601
19 E. JonesLEGACY MOTOR CLUB 43 Toyota 3

+2.412

2'11.545

0.393 93.322

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