NASCAR qualifying rained out but lineup set for Sunday Chase race at Charlotte

NASCAR's qualifying session was thwarted by rain once again, but the lineup for Sunday's Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway has been set. Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe will start from the front row for the race that marks the beginning of the second phase of the new format Chase Series. Throughout the first five races of the 10-race Chase, Larson has amassed a 40-point lead over Denny Hamlin, who has secured two wins and two second-place finishes in recent weeks.

The top six drivers in the Chase are within 84 points of Larson, who holds the title of defending Cup Series champion. With this week's races concluded, the remaining four events will take place at Phoenix, Talladega, Martinsville, and Homestead. NASCAR's postseason has returned to Charlotte's 1.5-mile quad-oval circuit after an eight-year absence from the road course layout.

The starting lineup for the Chase race at Charlotte includes Larson in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, followed by Briscoe in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Other drivers in the lineup are Tyler Reddick in the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota, Ryan Blaney in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford, Austin Cindric in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford, William Byron in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Joey Logano in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford, Bubba Wallace in the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota, Chase Elliott in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Shane van Gisbergen in the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, Carson Hocevar in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Chris Buescher in the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford, Ty Gibbs in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Daniel Suarez in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Alex Bowman in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Christopher Bell in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, AJ Allmendinger in the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, Michael McDowell in the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Austin Dillon in the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Riley Herbst in the No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota, Brad Keselowski in the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford, Noah Gragson in the No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford, Erik Jones in the No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota, Austin Hill in the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Josh Berry in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford, Ross Chastain in the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, John Hunter Nemechek in the No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota, Cole Custer in the No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet, Todd Gilliland in the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet, Ty Dillon in the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, Zane Smith in the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford, Cody Ware in the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet, Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, Corey Heim in the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota, Gray Gaulding in the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford, BJ McLeod in the No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet.