With qualifying rained out Friday at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Cole Custer was awarded the pole position for Saturday’s Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 via circuit metrics.
Second in the series’ points standings, Custer has yet to visit Victory Lane this season and trails series leader, Chandler Smith, by one point. Smith will start on the outside of the front row.
Sheldon Creed (P3) and AJ Allmendinger (P4) and Austin Hill (P5) rounded out the top five.
Cup series regular William Byron will start last.
Well, that’s not good.
Xfinity Series practice and qualifying have been cancelled. Tune in tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1 for the main event. pic.twitter.com/3toqz8gtaD
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) May 10, 2024
William Byron Attempting To Duplicate Kyle Larson’s Last-Lap Feat
During last season’s Xfinity spring event at Darlington, Cup regular Kyle Larson climbed back into an Xfinity machine and claimed his first national series win at the 1.366-mile oval track.
Overcoming a Stage 3 speeding penalty and aided by well-timed caution periods, Larson outdueled John Hunter Nemechek for the win. The two made side-by-side contact at least three times on the final lap.
Nemechek edged Larson for the Stage 2 win.
“Had a really fast race car and battling with one of the best in the sport in my opinion, Kyle Larson,” Nemechek said after the race, as reported by NASCAR.com. “Just disappointed a little bit from the standpoint of how that ended up there. Overall, we gave it a shot and still had a shot to win off of Turn 4. Fast car, top five to show for it, when it probably should have been Victory Lane or second.“
With Larson not entered to defend his title Saturday, Byron will attempt to duplicate what his Hendrick Motorsports teammate accomplished last spring. It may be a bit more challenging, considering he will start P38.
Kyle Larson Vs John-Hunter Nemechek
Xfinity Series – Darlington – 2023#NASCAR75 pic.twitter.com/X8kFO0Qq5y
— YG (@TREYFIVE35) July 25, 2023
NASCAR Xfinity Series Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 Lineup
Here is a look at the lineup for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 at Darlington Raceway:
Starting Position, Driver, Car No., Team
- 1, Cole Custer, 00, Stewart-Haas Racing
- 2, Chandler Smith, 81, Joe Gibbs Racing
- 3, Sheldon Creed, 18, Joe Gibbs Racing
- 4, AJ Allmendinger, 16, Kaulig Racing
- 5, Austin Hill, 21, Richard Childress Racing
- 6, Sam Mayer, 1, JR Motorsports
- 7, Justin Allgaier, 7, JR Motorsports
- 8, Anthony Alfredo, 5, Our Motorsports
- 9, Riley Herbst, 98, Stewart-Haas Racing
- 10, Parker Retzlaff, 31, Jordan Anderson Racing
- 11, Parker Kligerman, 48, Big Machine Racing
- 12, Jesse Love, 2, Richard Childress Racing
- 13, Carson Kvapil, 88, JR Motorsports
- 14, Brandon Jones, 9, JR Motorsports
- 15, Kyle Weatherman, 91, DGM Racing
- 16, Jeb Burton, 27, Jordan Anderson Racing
- 17, Shane van Gisbergen, 97, Kaulig Racing
- 18, Aric Almirola, 20, Joe Gibbs Racing
- 19, Jeremy Clements, 51, Jeremy Clements Racing
- 20, Ryan Ellis, 43, Alpha Prime Racing
- 21, Brennan Poole, 44, Alpha Prime Racing
- 22, Leland Honeyman, 42, Young’s Motorsports
- 23, Sammy Smith, 8, JR Motorsports
- 24, Taylor Gray, 19, Joe Gibbs Racing
- 25, Josh Williams, 11, Kaulig Racing
- 26, Ryan Seig, 39, RSS Racing
- 27, David Starr, 14, SS GreenLight Racing
- 28, Patrick Emerling, 07, SS GreenLight Racing
- 29, Kyle Sieg, 28, RSS Racing
- 30, Josh Bilicki, 92, DGM Racing
- 31, Matt DiBenedetto, 38, RSS Racing
- 32, Hailie Deegan, 15, AM Racing
- 33, Dawson Cram, 4, JD Motorsports
- 34, John Hunter Nemechek, 26, Sam Hunt Racing
- 35, Garrett Smithley, 6, JD Motorsports
- 36, Blaine Perkins, 29, RSS Racing
- 37, Chad Finchum, 35, Joey Gase Motorsports
- 38, William Byron, 17, Hendrick Motorsports
A true battle until the end! 😱 #XfinitySeries | @TooToughToTame pic.twitter.com/UgOaWeakDQ
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 9, 2024
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