Dirt Ace Kyle Larson will start on the pole at the Cup Dirt Race at Bristol

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BRISTOL, TN – RIS – Kyle Larson won the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race on Saturday.  Larson went from sixth to first to win his Heat race, earning the most points (15) of any driver in the four Heats. Austin Dillon, who won Heat 1, will join Larson on the outside pole in second. Ryan Blaney will start ninth after winning Heat 3, and Bubba Wallace will start 11th after winning Heat 4.

Larson has plenty of dirt track experience, so the pole was not a surprise.  

Saturday’s qualifying consisted of four heat races, each being 15 laps. During the heat races, drivers accumulated points for both finishing and passing. First place earned 10 points, second gets nine and so on down to one point for 10th — it’s the same way stage points are determined during a regulation race.

 Also, in addition to finishing points, drivers gained one point for each car passed from their original starting position. For example, Larson started sixth and finished first and received five points, in addition to the 10 points he received for finishing first place.

Drivers who finished where they started or ultimately lose spots on the grid got zero passing points. There are no deductions for drivers who finish below where they started. Point totals from all four heat races determined the field’s starting lineup for the main event.

Race Food City Dirt Race Qualifying Race #1, April 8, 2023, Bristol TN
Fin, Str, Driver, Car, Tms Led, Laps Led, Laps, Playoff Pts, Pts, Status
1) 5, Austin Dillon, No. 3 BREZTRI Chevrolet, 1, 13, 15, 5, 40, Running
2) 6, Tyler Reddick, No. 45 SiriusXM Radio Toyota, , , 15, , 35, Running
3) 8, Christopher Bell, No. 20 DeWalt Power Stack Toyota, , , 15, , 34, Running
4) 2, Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Chevrolet, 1, 1, 15, , 33, Running
5) 1, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger/Irish Spring Chevrolet, 1, 1, 15, , 32, Running
6) 4, Justin Haley, No. 31 Tide Chevrolet, , , 15, , 31, Running
7) 10, Ross Chastain, No. 1 AdventHealth Chevrolet, , , 15, , 30, Running
8) 7, Josh Berry(i), No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet, , , 15, , 0, Running
9) 9, Brad Keselowski, No. 6 King's Hawaiian Ford, , , 15, , 28, Running
10) 3, BJ McLeod, No. 78 Gunk Chevrolet, , , 15, , 27, RunningNo. 
Race Length: 15 Laps, 7.5 Miles
Comments: Austin Dillon won the Food City Dirt Race Qualifying Race #1 at Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt.
Lead Changes: 2 among 3 drivers; R. Stenhouse Jr. 1; A. Bowman 2; A. Dillon 3-15.

Race Food City Dirt Race Qualifying Race #2, April 8, 2023, Bristol TN
Fin, Str, Driver, Car, Tms Led, Laps Led, Laps, Playoff Pts, Pts, Status
1) 1, Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Menards/Maytag Ford, 1, 15, 15, 5, 40, Running
2) 2, Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Magical Vacation Planner Ford, , , 15, , 35, Running
3) 5, William Byron, No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet, , , 15, , 34, Running
4) 4, Harrison Burton, No. 21 DEX Imaging Ford, , , 15, , 33, Running
5) 6, Aric Almirola, No. 10 Smithfield Ford, , , 15, , 32, Running
6) 9, Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Speedy Cash Ford, , , 15, , 31, Running
7) 3, AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Gain Chevrolet, , , 15, , 30, Running
8) 8, Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota, , , 15, , 29, Running
9) 7, Noah Gragson #, No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet, , , 15, , 28, Running
Length: 15 Laps, 7.5 Miles
Comments: Ryan Blaney won the Food City Dirt Race Qualifying Race #2 at Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt.
Cautions: 0 for  laps; Laps:.
Lead Changes: 0 among 1 drivers; R. Blaney 1-15.

Race Food City Dirt Race Qualifying Race #3, April 8, 2023, Bristol TN
Fin, Str, Driver, Car, Tms Led, Laps Led, Laps, Playoff Pts, Pts, Status
1) 6, Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, 1, 15, 5, 15, 40, Running
2) 5, Ryan Preece, No. 41 United Rentals Ford, , , , 15, 35, Running
3) 9, JJ Yeley(i), No. 15 Public Sq. Ford, , , , 15, 0, Running
4) 1, Erik Jones, No. 43 Club Wyndham Chevrolet, , , , 15, 33, Running
5) 8, Michael McDowell, No. 34 Love's Travel Stops Ford, , , , 15, 32, Running
6) 4, Matt Crafton(i), No. 51 Biohaven/Jacob Co. Ford, , , , 15, 0, Running
7) 7, Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford, , , , 15, 30, Running
8) 3, Ty Dillon, No. 77 Ferris Commercial Mowers Chevrolet, , , , 15, 29, Running
9) 2, Corey LaJoie, No. 7 NationsGuard Chevrolet, , , , 15, 28, Running 
Length: 15 Laps, 7.5 Miles
Comments: Kyle Larson won the Food City Dirt Race Qualifying Race #3 at Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt.
Cautions: 0 for laps
Lead Changes: 1 among 2 drivers; E. Jones 0; K. Larson 1-15.

Race Food City Dirt Race Qualifying Race #4, April 8, 2023, Bristol TN
Fin, Str, Driver, Car, Tms Led, Laps Led, Laps, Playoff Pts, Pts, Status
1) 1, Bubba Wallace, No. 23 McDonald's/Dr Pepper Toyota, 1, 15, 15, 5, 40, Running
2) 6, Kyle Busch, No. 8 Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet, , , 15, , 35, Running
3) 7, Austin Cindric, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford, , , 15, , 34, Running
4) 2, * Jonathan Davenport, No. 13 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet, , , 15, , 33, Running
5) 8, Joey Logano, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, , , 15, , 32, Running
6) 4, Ty Gibbs #, No. 54 Interstate Batteries Toyota, , , 15, , 31, Running
7) 5, Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota, , , 15, , 30, Running
8) 9, Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Busch Light Ford, , , 15, , 29, Running
9) 3, Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Jockey Chevrolet, , , 15, , 28, RunningRace Comments: Bubba Wallace won tNo. he Food City Dirt Race Qualifying Race #4 at Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt.
Cautions: 2 for 0 laps; Laps: 10-9 ( [None]); 10-9 ( [None]).
Lead Changes: 0; B. Wallace 1-15.

Starting Line Up: Food City Dirt Race, Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt
Pos, Driver, Car
1) Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet
2) Austin Dillon, No. 3 BREZTRI Chevrolet
3) JJ Yeley(i), No. 15 Public Sq. Ford
4) Christopher Bell, No. 20 DeWalt Power Stack Toyota
5) Kyle Busch, No. 8 Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet
6) Tyler Reddick, No. 45 SiriusXM Radio Toyota
7) Austin Cindric, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford
8) Ryan Preece, No. 41 United Rentals Ford
9) Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Menards/Maytag Ford
10) William Byron, No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet
11) Bubba Wallace, No. 23 McDonald's/Dr Pepper Toyota
12) Joey Logano, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford
13) Michael McDowell, No. 34 Love's Travel Stops Ford
14) Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Magical Vacation Planner Ford
15) Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Speedy Cash Ford
16) Ross Chastain, No. 1 AdventHealth Chevrolet
17) Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Chevrolet
18) Erik Jones, No. 43 Club Wyndham Chevrolet
19) Aric Almirola, No. 10 Smithfield Ford
20) Harrison Burton, No. 21 DEX Imaging Ford
21) Jonathan Davenport, No. 13 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet
22) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger/Irish Spring Chevrolet
23) Ty Gibbs #, No. 54 Interstate Batteries Toyota
24) Matt Crafton(i), No. 51 Biohaven/Jacob Co. Ford
25) Justin Haley, No. 31 Tide Chevrolet
26) Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Busch Light Ford
27) Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota
28) Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford
29) AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Gain Chevrolet
30) Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota
31) Josh Berry(i), No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet
32) Ty Dillon, No. 77 Ferris Commercial Mowers Chevrolet
33) Brad Keselowski, No. 6 King's Hawaiian Ford
34) Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Jockey Chevrolet
35) Corey LaJoie, No. 7 NationsGuard Chevrolet
36) Noah Gragson #, No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet
37) BJ McLeod, No. 78 Gunk Chevrolet
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series, (#) Rookie

Track Race Record: Joey Logano, 03/29/21, 2:43:53, 46.313 mph