Chase Briscoe delivered a strong qualifying performance on Saturday, securing the pole position for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver put his No. 19 Toyota at the top of the leaderboard, earning a crucial starting position as the championship battle enters another important weekend.
Briscoe posted a lap at 186.065 mph, completing the 2.66-mile superspeedway in 51.466 seconds. His effort narrowly edged Austin Hill, who qualified second with a speed of 185.949 mph. The difference between the two drivers was just 0.032 seconds, making it a close battle for the top starting spot.
The pole marks Briscoe’s first of the 2026 season at Talladega and the 10th of his NASCAR Cup Series career. It also gives the No. 19 team another reason to feel confident heading into a race that could have significant championship implications.
Briscoe has enjoyed success throughout the Chase, including victories at Las Vegas and Charlotte. He also enters the weekend as the defending winner of the fall Talladega race, giving him an opportunity to repeat that performance in front of the Alabama crowd.
The Indiana native currently sits third in the championship standings, 24 points behind leader Kyle Larson. With only three races remaining, every stage point and finishing position could make a difference in determining who advances toward the championship.
Starting up front does not guarantee success at Talladega, where drafting, aggressive moves and large multi-car accidents can dramatically change the race. However, Briscoe has positioned himself to take advantage of the opening laps and potentially collect valuable points early.
Austin Hill will join Briscoe on the front row, while Trackhouse Racing teammates Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen qualified third and fourth, respectively. Chris Buescher rounded out the top five.
Several championship contenders will have more ground to make up. Larson qualified 10th, while Joey Logano will start 16th, Chase Elliott 18th and Ryan Blaney 27th. Tyler Reddick, who won at Phoenix last weekend, qualified 33rd.
Sunday’s YellaWood 500 is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on NBC. With the championship battle tightening, Briscoe will look to turn his pole position into another victory and close the gap on Larson in the standings.