Tyler Reddick seized the pole position at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course on Saturday, edging out Shane van Gisbergen in a closely contested NASCAR qualifying. In a session marked by unexpected tire wear and shifting strategies, the Shane van Gisbergen NASCAR qualifying bid fell just 0.032 seconds short of the top spot for Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400.
Reddick Claims Pole With Critical Lap
Reddick delivered a standout lap of 85.939 seconds at 95.510 mph, claiming his second Busch Light Pole Award of the year and his 11th career pole. The precise effort put him ahead of van Gisbergen, a three-time Australian Supercars champion and the winner of the last four NASCAR Cup Series road course events, who clocked a 95.474 mph lap. The tight margin set the stage for Sunday’s playoff cutoff race as Reddick aims to erase a 29-point deficit and move forward in the championship.
Tire degradation emerged as a major storyline in Saturday’s session, with Reddick suggesting it could outweigh other factors in determining race-day strategies.
“I think everybody that had a plan, an idea on the strategy for this race just had it completely ripped in half,”
said Reddick, who has three road course wins since NASCAR’s transition to the Gen 7 car in 2022.
“All the teams are now looking at what the fall-off was like today and refiguring what the strategy’s going to look like. I would imagine that tires are going to be important to have late if there’s a caution, based on what we saw today.”
– Tyler Reddick, NASCAR Driver
Playoff and Non-Playoff Drivers Mix at the Front
The front of the grid displayed a blend of championship contenders and notable non-Playoff competitors. Plugging into the top qualifiers alongside Reddick were Playoff hopefuls Kyle Larson in fourth, Christopher Bell in seventh, Chase Briscoe in eighth, and Ross Chastain in tenth. Shane van Gisbergen’s runner-up spot highlighted his ongoing dominance in road course events, while Ty Gibbs secured the third position with a 95.265 mph lap.
Non-Playoff drivers made a significant impact in qualifying, with Chris Buescher taking fifth, Michael McDowell scoring sixth, and AJ Allmendinger starting ninth. By the close of qualifying, five non-Playoff drivers earned places in the top ten—a sign of the unpredictable and competitive nature of the event.
Standings and Playoff Implications
Among the Playoff field, Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, and Chase Elliott filled grid slots 11th through 15th. Team Penske’s Joey Logano, the defending series champion, will begin the race from 17th, while Austin Cindric starts from 19th. Logano currently sits eighth in the series standings, holding a 13-point cushion over the elimination line for the Round of 8, while Cindric faces a steep 48-point gap, likely needing a win to advance.
Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney have already secured spots in the Round of 8 after victories at Kansas and New Hampshire, respectively. For many other Playoff contenders, Sunday’s race will be decisive in their seasons.
Van Gisbergen’s Pursuit of Road Course History
Shane van Gisbergen, who also started in second for his most recent win at Watkins Glen, continues his quest for a fifth consecutive road course victory in the Cup Series. If successful, he will close in on Jeff Gordon’s historic record of six straight wins on road courses, achieved between 1997 and 2000.
The race at Charlotte Motor Speedway promises a dramatic showdown amid challenging tire concerns and high-stakes playoff implications. With Reddick, van Gisbergen, and other top contenders set for battle, fans can expect a fiercely competitive event that may reshape the NASCAR playoff landscape.
