Qualifying report
NASCAR Cup Atlanta
Michael McDowell earns first NASCAR Cup pole in 467th start
The front row of a 2024 NASCAR Cup Series race is becoming a familiar home for Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell.
Edited: Feb 24, 2024, 7:06 PM
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McDowell will share the front row with fellow Ford driver Joey Logano for the second consecutive week but this time it’s McDowell who will lead the field to green.
The last of 10 cars to qualify in the final round of Saturday’s qualifying session, McDowell bolted to the top of the scoring pylon with an average lap speed of 178.844 mph.
McDowell just edged Logano (178.424 mph), who won the pole for last weekend’s season-opening Daytona 500.
The pole is the first of McDowell’s career and comes in his 467th start.
“That’s awesome,” McDowell said. “I’m just very proud of all the men and women at Front Row Motorsports. Two weeks in a row we’ve gotten on the front row. We’ve got a really fast Ford Mustang.
“That was a good lap but it really comes down to the team and execution. They’ve done a really good job. Now, we need to back that up with a really good job tomorrow.”
Kyle Busch ended up third quick (178.235 mph – and the top Chevrolet driver – while McDowell’s FRM teammate Todd Gilliland was fourth and Kyle Larson rounded out the top five.
Completing the top 10 starting lineup are Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe and Austin Dillon.
In all, Fords claimed seven of the top 10 spots while Toyota failed to advance any driver to the final round.
CLA DRIVER # MANUFACTURER LAPS TIME INTERVAL MPH 1 M. McDowellFRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS 34 Ford 1
30.999
178.844 2 J. LoganoTEAM PENSKE 22 Ford 1
+0.073
31.072
0.073 178.424 3 K. BuschRICHARD CHILDRESS RACING 8 Chevrolet 1
+0.106
31.105
0.033 178.235 4 T. GillilandFRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS 38 Ford 1
+0.133
31.132
0.027 178.080 5 K. LarsonHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS 5 Chevrolet 1
+0.177
31.176
0.044 177.829 6 R. BlaneyTEAM PENSKE 12 Ford 1
+0.207
31.206
0.030 177.658 7 C. BuescherRFK RACING 17 Ford 1
+0.292
31.291
0.085 177.176 8 A. CindricTEAM PENSKE 2 Ford 1
+0.297
31.296
0.005 177.147 9 C. BriscoeSTEWART-HAAS RACING 14 Ford 1
+0.301
31.300
0.004 177.125 10 A. DillonRICHARD CHILDRESS RACING 3 Chevrolet 1
+0.305
31.304
0.004 177.102
Round 1
As they did in single car qualifying at Daytona, Fords led the way to kick off the first round at Atlanta with McDowell posting the fastest average lap speed at 177.806 mph.
Fellow Ford drivers Logano (177.658 mph) and Gilliland (177.544 mph) were second and third, respectively. Cindric and Briscoe rounded out the top five as Fords swept the top five positions.
Also advancing to the final round were Busch (the top Chevrolet), Blaney, Dillon, Buescher and Larson.
Among those who failed to advance were Daytona 500 William Byron (11th fastest) and Martin Truex Jr., who was 12th and the top performing Toyota driver.
“I don’t think we’re really surprised the Fords were up front in qualifying,” Truex said. “We were 27th last week, 12th today. Really enjoy racing here, It’s a lot of fun and I have high hopes for tomorrow.”
Legacy Motor Club driver Erik Jones was last among 37 cars and well off the pace, more than 13 mph slower than McDowell.
“Just too free. We missed it, but hopefully we’ll race good,” he said. “Fortunately, it’s a superspeedway so you’ve got a chance to get back up there, just have to get the balance right.”
11 W. ByronHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS 24 Chevrolet 1
+0.168
31.348
0.002 176.853 12 M. Truex JrJOE GIBBS RACING 19 Toyota 1
+0.188
31.368
0.020 176.741 13 D. HamlinJOE GIBBS RACING 11 Toyota 1
+0.195
31.375
0.007 176.701 14 J. BerrySTEWART-HAAS RACING 4 Ford 1
+0.197
31.377
0.002 176.690 15 N. GragsonSTEWART-HAAS RACING 10 Ford 1
+0.205
31.385
0.008 176.645 16 H. BurtonWOOD BROTHERS RACING 21 Ford 1
+0.217
31.397
0.012 176.577 17 A. BowmanHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS 48 Chevrolet 1
+0.243
31.423
0.026 176.431 18 B. Wallace23XI RACING 23 Toyota 1
+0.250
31.430
0.007 176.392 19 T. Reddick23XI RACING 45 Toyota 1
+0.251
31.431
0.001 176.386 20 R. PreeceSTEWART-HAAS RACING 41 Ford 1
+0.264
31.444
0.013 176.313 21 R. ChastainTRACKHOUSE RACING 1 Chevrolet 1
+0.287
31.467
0.023 176.185 22 C. BellJOE GIBBS RACING 20 Toyota 1
+0.295
31.475
0.008 176.140 23 D. SuarezTRACKHOUSE RACING 99 Chevrolet 1
+0.296
31.476
0.001 176.134 24 B. KeselowskiRFK RACING 6 Ford 1
+0.299
31.479
0.003 176.117 25
T. GibbsJOE GIBBS RACING
54 Toyota 1
+0.304
31.484
0.005 176.089 26 D. HemricKAULIG RACING 31 Chevrolet 1
+0.326
31.506
0.022 175.966 27 R. Stenhouse JrJTG DAUGHERTY RACING 47 Chevrolet 1
+0.334
31.514
0.008 175.922 28 C. ElliottHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS 9 Chevrolet 1
+0.339
31.519
0.005 175.894 29
Z. SmithSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
71 Chevrolet 1
+0.456
31.636
0.117 175.243 30 J. WilliamsKAULIG RACING 16 Chevrolet 1
+0.485
31.665
0.029 175.083 31 J. HaleyRICK WARE RACING 51 Ford 1
+0.491
31.671
0.006 175.050 32 C. LajoieSPIRE MOTORSPORTS 7 Chevrolet 1
+0.527
31.707
0.036 174.851 33 K. GralaRICK WARE RACING 15 Ford 1
+0.538
31.718
0.011 174.790 34 J. NemechekLEGACY MOTOR CLUB 42 Toyota 1
+0.799
31.979
0.261 173.364 35
C. HocevarSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
77 Chevrolet 1
+0.823
32.003
0.024 173.234 36 B. McLeodLIVE FAST MOTORSPORTS 78 Chevrolet 1
+1.204
32.384
0.381 171.196 37 E. JonesLEGACY MOTOR CLUB 43 Toyota 1
+2.511
33.691
1.307 164.554
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