The starting lineup for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol on Sunday was set by the same procedure that will determine the starting lineup for the next five Cup Series races, all of which will be run without prior practice or qualifying sessions.
The starting grid for Sunday's race at Bristol, scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. ET and broadcast live on Fox, features a handful of Fords at the front of the field as a result of the procedure that utilizes a combination of points standings and a random draw to set the lineup.
MORE: Updated NASCAR Cup Series schedule for 2020
As for pit stall selection for the next five Cup Series races being run without qualifying, it will be ordered based on finishing positions from the series’ previous race, followed by new entries in order of points.
Below is the starting lineup for Sunday's Bristol race and how it was set.
Who is on the pole for the NASCAR race at Bristol?
For the second time since the NASCAR Cup Series returned from its coronavirus-promoted hiatus, Brad Keselowski won a random draw to earn the pole position to start a race.
No matter which lane Keselowski chooses to start Sunday's race, he will have a Team Penske teammate behind him, as Joey Logano will start third alongside Ryan Blaney in fourth based on the results of the draw. Aric Almirola will roll off second.
Below is the protocol for how the Cup Series field was set at Bristol.
- Positions 1-12: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
- Positions 13-24: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
- Positions 25-36: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
- Positions 37-40: Open teams in order of owners points
NASCAR starting lineup at Bristol
The same protocol that set the lineup for Sunday's Bristol race will be used to set the lineup for the upcoming Cup Series races at Atlanta (June 7), Martinsville (June 10), Homestead-Miami (June 14) and Talladega (June 21). All of those races also will run without prior practice sessions with the exception of Talladega, which will have an hour-long practice session the day before the race.
As for Sunday's race at Bristol, the draw for the starting lineup took place Friday. Below are the results.
| Pos. | Driver |
| 1 | Brad Keselowski |
| 2 | Aric Almirola |
| 3 | Joey Logano |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney |
| 5 | Martin Truex Jr. |
| 6 | Chase Elliott |
| 7 | Kyle Busch |
| 8 | Kevin Harvick |
| 9 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 10 | Denny Hamlin |
| 11 | Alex Bowman |
| 12 | Kurt Busch |
| 13 | William Byron |
| 14 | Matt Kenseth |
| 15 | Erik Jones |
| 16 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 17 | Ryan Newman |
| 18 | John Hunter Nemechek |
| 19 | Chris Buescher |
| 20 | Austin Dillon |
| 21 | Tyler Reddick |
| 22 | Cole Custer |
| 23 | Clint Bowyer |
| 24 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 25 | Michael McDowell |
| 26 | Bayley Currey |
| 27 | Joey Gase |
| 28 | Quin Houff |
| 29 | Ty Dillon |
| 30 | Gray Gaulding |
| 31 | Garrett Smithley |
| 32 | Corey LaJoie |
| 33 | Ryan Preece |
| 34 | Brennan Poole |
| 35 | Christopher Bell |
| 36 | Bubba Wallace |
| 37 | Daniel Suarez |
| 38 | Timmy Hill |
| 39 | BJ McLeod |
| 40 | JJ Yeley |