Qualifying report
NASCAR Cup Watkins Glen
Hamlin earns 40th NASCAR Cup pole, beating Byron at WGI
Denny Hamlin earned the 40th pole of his NASCAR Cup career and will lead Sunday’s field to green at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.
Jim Utter
Edited: Aug 19, 2023, 6:52 PM
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Hamlin went out twice in the final round of Saturday’s qualifying session – at the very beginning and the very end.
He posted the fastest average lap speed on his first run then topped it on his second at 125.298 mph – one of the few to improve on the second attempt.
The pole is Hamlin’s fourth this season and 40th of his career. It is also his third pole on road or street course, having also qualified first at Sonoma and the Chicago Street Course.
Unfortunately, Hamlin has yet to translate one of his poles into a win. He came closest at Chicago with an 11th place finish.
“I thought I executed those corners pretty good. I thought there were a few spots I feel like I could have gotten a little bit more, but you can’t nit pick when you’re that good,” Hamlin said.
“Shoutout to Toyota and this whole No. 11 team for bringing me a fast car.”
William Byron ended up second quick at 124.961 mph while last weekend’s race winner at the Indy Road Course, Michael McDowell, was third (124.949 mph).
Ty Gibbs and Kyle Larson rounded out the top five.
Completing the top-10 starting lineup were A.J. Allmendinger, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Kyle Busch and Corey LaJoie, who will make his career-best start.
Cla Driver # Manufacturer Laps Time Interval Mph 1 
DENNY HAMLINJoe Gibbs Racing 11 Toyota 3 1'10.392 125.298 2 WILLIAM BYRONHendrick Motorsports 24 Chevrolet 4 +0.190 0.190 124.961 3 MICHAEL MCDOWELLFront Row Motorsports 34 Ford 4 +0.197 0.007 124.949 4
TY GIBBSJoe Gibbs Racing
54 Toyota 1 +0.230 0.033 124.890 5 KYLE LARSONHendrick Motorsports 5 Chevrolet 4 +0.239 0.009 124.874 6 AJ ALLMENDINGERKaulig Racing 16 Chevrolet 4 +0.369 0.130 124.645 7 CHRISTOPHER BELLJoe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota 2 +0.511 0.142 124.395 8 TYLER REDDICK23XI Racing 45 Toyota 5 +0.630 0.119 124.187 9 KYLE BUSCHRichard Childress Racing 8 Chevrolet 2 +0.686 0.056 124.089 10 COREY LAJOIESpire Motorsports 7 Chevrolet 2 +0.832 0.146 123.835
Round 1 / Group A
Byron led the way in the first group with an average lap speed of 125.071 mph.
McDowell was second quick at 125.058 mph and Reddick was third fastest (124.995 mph).
Also advancing to the final round of qualifying from Group A were Gibbs and Hamlin.
Among those who failed to advance were Chase Elliott, who needs a win to make the playoffs; Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman and Mike Rockenfeller, who is driving Legacy Motor Club’s No. 42 Chevrolet this week.
Elliott was disgusted with himself after his final qualifying attempt, letting loose a string of profanities over his team radio once he returned to pit road.
“To me, this was the opportunity that we had that we have the most control over,” said Elliott, who will line up 15th. “I didn’t have a very good start to the weekend. It puts us in a tough spot.”
Cla Driver # Manufacturer Laps Time Interval Mph 1 WILLIAM BYRONHendrick Motorsports 24 Chevrolet 3 1'10.520 125.071 2 MICHAEL MCDOWELLFront Row Motorsports 34 Ford 2 +0.007 0.007 125.058 3 TYLER REDDICK23XI Racing 45 Toyota 3 +0.043 0.036 124.995 4
TY GIBBSJoe Gibbs Racing
54 Toyota 3 +0.078 0.035 124.933 5 DENNY HAMLINJoe Gibbs Racing 11 Toyota 3 +0.124 0.046 124.851 6 CHASE ELLIOTTHendrick Motorsports 9 Chevrolet 3 +0.472 0.348 124.239 7 AUSTIN DILLONRichard Childress Racing 3 Chevrolet 5 +0.560 0.088 124.086 8 ALEX BOWMANHendrick Motorsports 48 Chevrolet 4 +0.633 0.073 123.958 9 
MIKE ROCKENFELLERLegacy Motor Club 42 Chevrolet 7 +0.679 0.046 123.878 10 BRAD KESELOWSKIRFK Racing 6 Ford 4 +0.864 0.185 123.557 11 TODD GILLILANDFront Row Motorsports 38 Ford 5 +0.864 0.000 123.557 12 RICKY STENHOUSE JRJTG Daugherty Racing 47 Chevrolet 4 +0.953 0.089 123.403 13 COLE CUSTERRick Ware Racing 51 Ford 3 +1.165 0.212 123.038 14 ERIK JONESLegacy Motor Club 43 Chevrolet 3 +1.203 0.038 122.973 15 HARRISON BURTONWood Brothers Racing 21 Ford 5 +1.222 0.019 122.941 16 KEVIN HARVICKStewart-Haas Racing 4 Ford 4 +1.238 0.016 122.913 17 JOSH BILICKILive Fast Motorsports 78 Chevrolet 4 +1.427 0.189 122.590 18 TY DILLONSpire Motorsports 77 Chevrolet 4 +1.543 0.116 122.393
Round 1 / Group B
Allmendinger – who was fastest in Saturday’s practice – led the way in Group B with an average lap speed of 124.857 mph.
Larson was second fastest (124.752 mph) and LaJoie was third (124.638 mph).
Also advancing to the final round were Bell and Busch.
Among those who failed to advance out of Group B were Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suarez, who nearly spun out in the area of the bus stop on his flyer lap.
Cla Driver # Manufacturer Laps Time Interval Mph 1 AJ ALLMENDINGERKaulig Racing 16 Chevrolet 1 1'10.641 124.857 2 KYLE LARSONHendrick Motorsports 5 Chevrolet 1 +0.059 0.059 124.752 3 COREY LAJOIESpire Motorsports 7 Chevrolet 3 +0.124 0.065 124.638 4 CHRISTOPHER BELLJoe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota 4 +0.183 0.059 124.534 5 KYLE BUSCHRichard Childress Racing 8 Chevrolet 4 +0.283 0.100 124.358 6 JOEY LOGANOTeam Penske 22 Ford 4 +0.285 0.002 124.355 7 BUBBA WALLACE23XI Racing 23 Toyota 4 +0.305 0.020 124.320 8 CHRIS BUESCHERRFK Racing 17 Ford 5 +0.325 0.020 124.285 9 
DANIEL SUAREZTrackHouse Racing 99 Chevrolet 6 +0.340 0.015 124.259 10 AUSTIN CINDRICTeam Penske 2 Ford 5 +0.482 0.142 124.011 11 MARTIN TRUEX JRJoe Gibbs Racing 19 Toyota 5 +0.513 0.031 123.956 12 JUSTIN HALEYKaulig Racing 31 Chevrolet 2 +0.551 0.038 123.890 13 ROSS CHASTAINTrackHouse Racing 1 Chevrolet 5 +0.564 0.013 123.868 14 RYAN BLANEYTeam Penske 12 Ford 4 +0.592 0.028 123.819 15 CHASE BRISCOEStewart-Haas Racing 14 Ford 5 +0.806 0.214 123.448 16 ARIC ALMIROLAStewart-Haas Racing 10 Ford 3 +0.815 0.009 123.433 17 ANDY LALLYRick Ware Racing 15 Ford 6 +0.844 0.029 123.383 18 RYAN PREECEStewart-Haas Racing 41 Ford 7 +1.079 0.235 122.978
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