Bristol Motor Speedway will be shrouded in a cloud of dust for Sunday's Food City Dirt Race, one of the most unusual events on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
The clay covering Bristol's concrete can be unpredictable and challenging to racers. Just ask Tyler Reddick, who fell short of his first Cup Series win in last year's race.
One driver who's very familiar with dirt is Kyle Larson. The Hendrick Motorsports star has put together a distinguished dirt-racing career, with 26 wins. Given his background on the ground, it's little surprise that Larson is the odds-on favorite heading into the race.
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Here's what you need to know about the starting lineup for Sunday's race.
Who won the pole for the Food City Dirt Race in 2023?
Kyle Larson nabbed the pole for Sunday's race, accruing a field-high 15 points during his 15-lap qualifying heat race Saturday. It's his 16th career pole and second this season.
Ride along as the No. 5 storms to the front. pic.twitter.com/foRnvOLt21
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 8, 2023
.@KyleLarsonRacin doing Kyle Larson things in Heat Race 3. pic.twitter.com/EYtTYSmdzg
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 8, 2023
Food City Dirt Race starting lineup 2023
Larson will be joined by Austin Dillon on the front row Sunday night. Josh Berry, fresh off a career-best second-place finish at Richmond, will reprise his role as the driver of Chase Elliott's No. 9 car. Elliott is still out after suffering a leg injury in a snowboarding accident earlier in the season.
Here's a look at the full starting lineup for the Easter night race at Bristol.
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| Starting pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 3 | J.J. Yeley | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 4 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 5 | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 6 | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing |
| 7 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske |
| 8 | Ryan Preece | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 9 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 10 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 11 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 12 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 13 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 14 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 15 | Todd Gilliland | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 16 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 17 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 18 | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 19 | Aric Almiorla | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 20 | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 21 | Jonathan Davenport | 13 | Kaulig Racing |
| 22 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 23 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 24 | Matt Crafton | 51 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 25 | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing |
| 26 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 27 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 28 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing |
| 29 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
| 30 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 31 | Josh Berry | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 32 | Ty Dillon | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 33 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing |
| 34 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 35 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 36 | Noah Gragson | 42 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 37 | B.J. McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
