NASCAR News: Michael McDowell soars to Busch Light Pole at Talladega

Michael McDowell (pictured) might have switched teams for 2025, but the Spire Motorsports driver showed he’s still a superspeedway force, snagging the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s YellaWood 500—the critical Round of 8 playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

In Saturday’s qualifying, McDowell clocked a blistering 182.466 mph lap in the No. 71 Chevrolet around the 2.66-mile track, edging playoff contender Chase Briscoe by a razor-thin 0.019 seconds. It’s the eighth pole of McDowell’s career and his second this season, tying his springtime effort at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“Talladega qualifying doesn’t leave much for the driver to do beyond avoiding mistakes,” said the 40-year-old Arizona native and 2021 Daytona 500 champion. “We were eager to gauge our progress from the first two superspeedway races, especially without a baseline from the rained-out Daytona session this summer. The whole team—everyone at the Hendrick engine shop included—has busted their tails to chase down some speed here.

“A quick car matters, especially for leading lanes and dictating the draft. The pole’s a thrill, but heading into tomorrow’s race with genuine pace? That’s the real win.”

Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch slotted third in the No. 8 Chevrolet, trailed by a trio of non-playoff Fords: Team Penske’s Austin Cindric (fourth), RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece (fifth) and Wood Brothers Racing’s Josh Berry (sixth).

Among the eight playoff drivers, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell and Penske’s Ryan Blaney will launch from seventh and eighth, with 23XI Racing non-playoff teammates Riley Herbst and Bubba Wallace rounding out the top 10.

Regular-season champ William Byron starts 13th in the No. 24 Hendrick Chevrolet, followed by Penske’s Joey Logano (16th) and Joe Gibbs’ Denny Hamlin (17th). Fellow Hendrick playoff stars Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott will begin 19th and 25th, respectively.

Hamlin has already punched his ticket to the Championship 4 with last week’s Las Vegas triumph. Larson enters with a comfy 35-point cushion above the cutline, joined by Joe Gibbs teammates Bell (+20) and Briscoe (+15).

Teetering below the elimination line are Byron (-15), Elliott (-23), Logano (-24) and Blaney (-31)—all former Talladega victors looking to claw back ground.

Meanwhile, defending race winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of Hyak Motorsports will start a distant 37th in the 40-car field.

Qualifying Results