Joey Logano wins Quaker State 400 pole position following a historic tie in time trials with Josh Berry at EchoPark Speedway on Friday evening, marking a rare moment in NASCAR Cup Series racing. Both drivers completed the Atlanta-area track in precisely 30.979 seconds, requiring a seldom-used tiebreaker to determine the pole winner for Saturday’s main event.
Logano Secures Pole After Identical Laps with Berry
The competition at EchoPark Speedway saw an extraordinary outcome as Joey Logano and Josh Berry posted identical laps during qualifying, both averaging 178.960 mph around the 1.54-mile superspeedway. The official nod for the Quaker State 400 pole went to Logano, a three-time Cup Series champion, after the tie was broken using owner points as outlined in NASCAR regulations.
This situation marks the first instance in 17 years where two drivers tied for the top qualifying position in a Cup Series event, a parallel to the 2007 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway where Jeff Gordon edged David Gilliland under similar circumstances. Josh Berry, who experienced his first career Cup Series win earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, was close to earning his inaugural pole but lost out in the tiebreak process.
Reflecting on Team Penske’s strong performance, Logano emphasized the team’s collaborative efforts and technical parity.
“Well, you know, we all have the same things and Team Penske does a great job at building the same cars, it seems like,”
said Logano.
“All of us are in the top four there. Proud of everyone at the shop, proud of Roush-Yates Engines. This is always a test of how close you can build your cars, but how much speed you can put in them.”
—Joey Logano, Driver
Starting Lineup Highlights Team Penske and Notable Drivers
Ryan Blaney, representing Team Penske alongside Logano and Berry, earned the third spot on the starting grid, with his No. 12 ford/”>Ford just 0.004 seconds behind the pole sitters. Team Penske’s technical lineup showed dominance, as reflected in the closely matched qualifying times at the front.
Austin Cindric and Ryan Preece completed the top five qualifiers. Brad Keselowski claimed the sixth position, with further places in the top ten going to Cole Custer (seventh), Zane Smith (eighth), Alex Bowman (ninth), and Chase Briscoe (tenth). Key competitors filling out the field include Kyle Larson in 11th, Chris Buescher in 13th, and Chase Elliott in 15th, followed by William Byron, Tyler Reddick, and Bubba Wallace further down the order.
Other notable results feature Christopher Bell in 28th, Kyle Busch in 29th, Denny Hamlin starting 33rd, Ross Chastain in 34th, and Shane Van Gisbergen claiming the 35th slot.
Looking Ahead to Saturday’s Quaker State 400
The Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart will take place at EchoPark Speedway on Saturday, June 28, beginning at 7:00 pm ET. With Joey Logano starting from pole after an exceptionally close qualifying session, anticipation is high among fans and teams alike. The rare tie in time trials highlights the technological advancements and high level of competition in the NASCAR Cup Series, suggesting an unpredictable and exciting race night ahead. The performance of drivers such as Ryan Blaney, Josh Berry, Jeff Gordon, and others will be closely watched as the green flag drops and the event unfolds.
