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NASCAR Starting Lineup for Sunday's South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Tyler Reddick wins the pole over rookie Ross Chastain as the Round of 8 is set to begin out in Sin City.
NASCAR Starting Lineup for Sunday's South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The NASCAR Cup Series moves on to the Round of 8 this weekend at the 1.5-mile oval of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Any title contender who leaves this South Point 400 with a victory will automatically lock down a spot in this year’s Championship 4.

LVMS is the final intermediate track this sport is visiting for the second time this season. The March event was one of the more competitive in recent history there, an early showcase of how strong the sport’s new Next Gen chassis is on this track type. 23 lead changes were mixed in between 12 caution flags as Alex Bowman emerged victorious over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson in NASCAR Overtime.

This time around, Bowman isn’t even in the race, sidelined with a concussion while reigning champ Larson was eliminated from this year’s postseason in the Round of 12. Ross Chastain actually finished the highest of the eight remaining championship contenders, running third in March and leading a race-high 83 laps.

Chastain will start 11th this time around while two former playoff drivers qualified out front. Tyler Reddick, hours after announcing he’ll join the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota team a year earlier than anticipated (2023), won his second pole position of this year’s playoffs. Rookie Austin Cindric will start alongside, himself eliminated in a last-lap scramble Sunday at Charlotte.

Only the 36 chartered teams showed up to attempt Sunday’s race, leaving the field four short of a full 40-car grid.

1. Tyler Reddick
2. Austin Cindric (R)
3. William Byron (P)
4. Ryan Blaney (P)
5. Joey Logano (P)
6. Daniel Suarez
7. Christopher Bell (P)
8. Harrison Burton (R)
9. Bubba Wallace
10. Austin Dillon
11. Ross Chastain (P)
12. Chris Buescher
13. Kevin Harvick
14. Kyle Larson
15. Michael McDowell
16. Chase Briscoe (P)
17. Noah Gragson (i)
18. Kyle Busch
19. Ty Gibbs (i)
20. Chase Elliott (P)
21. AJ Allmendinger (i)
22. Erik Jones
23. Aric Almirola
24. Cole Custer
25. Brad Keselowski
26. JJ Yeley (i)
27. Martin Truex Jr.
28. Justin Haley
29. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
30. Corey LaJoie
31. Denny Hamlin (P)
32. Landon Cassill (i)
33. Ty Dillon
34. Cody Ware
35. Todd Gilliland (R)
36. BJ McLeod (i)

(R) – Rookie
(i) – Ineligible to collect Cup Series points
(P) – Round of 8 Playoff driver

Qualifying Notes

  • Tyler Reddick (first) earned his third pole of the season with Richard Childress Racing. The fastest Chevrolet driver also won at the last intermediate track on the schedule, Texas Motor Speedway.
  • Austin Cindric (second) was the highest-qualifying Ford driver. The fastest rookie is looking for his first victory since February’s season-opening Daytona 500.
  • William Byron (third) was the highest-qualifying playoff driver.
  • All three Team Penske drivers (Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano) qualified inside the top five.
  • Christopher Bell (seventh) was the highest-qualifying Toyota driver.
  • Noah Gragson (17th) continues to sub for injured Alex Bowman this weekend in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
  • Ty Gibbs (19th) will drive the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota the rest of the season after Kurt Busch announced he’s stepping away from full-time competition.
  • JJ Yeley (26th) replaces Joey Hand in the Rick Ware Racing Ford. Yeley is running the majority of races for the team this season.
  • Denny Hamlin (31st) is the defending race winner. Hamlin has the worst starting spot of all eight playoff drivers.
  • Landon Cassill (32nd) replaces Mike Rockenfeller in the Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet. Cassill is sharing the ride with Rockenfeller and Josh Bilicki this season.
  • Cody Ware (34th) returns to the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford after missing the race at Charlotte due to a fractured right ankle suffered in a wreck at Texas.
  • BJ McLeod (36th) replaces Josh Williams in the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford. McLeod is running the majority of races for his self-owned team this season.

Related: Best Las Vegas Motor Speedway Drivers for DraftKings

NASCAR Race Breakdown

Race: South Point 400
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Date: Sunday, Oct. 16
TV: NBC, 2 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 267 laps (400 miles)
Stage 1: 80 Laps
Stage 2: 85 Laps
Stage 3: 102 Laps

Pre-Race Preview

This week on the Frontstretch Podcast, guest Mike Bachmann catches up with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Matt DiBenedetto. After Matty D dishes on his season to date, Bachmann and co-host Dalton Hopkins turn their attention back to Cup and the postseason chase. How will a wild weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL change the approach of eight remaining playoff contenders this weekend?