NASCAR lineup at Talladega: Starting order, pole for Monday's postponed race without qualifying

Tadd Haislop

NASCAR lineup at Talladega: Starting order, pole for Monday's postponed race without qualifying image

(UPDATE: Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega was postponed to Monday due to severe weather. The race will start at 3 p.m. ET on Fox.)

The starting lineup and pole for Monday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway were set by the same procedure that determined the starting lineup for the last four Cup Series races, all of which were scheduled to run without prior practice or qualifying sessions.

The starting grid for Monday's race at Talladega, scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET and broadcast live on Fox, features three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers in the first four starting spots as a result of the procedure that utilizes a combination of points standings and a random draw to set the lineup.

MORE: Updated 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule

As for pit stall selection for the NASCAR Cup Series races being run without qualifying, it is ordered based on finishing positions from the series’ previous race, followed by new entries in order of points. So Homestead winner Denny Hamlin had the first pit stall selection for Monday's race at Talladega and chose the No. 1 stall.

Below is the starting lineup for Monday's NASCAR race at Talladega and how it was set.

Who won the pole for the NASCAR race at Talladega?

For the second consecutive week, a JGR driver is on the pole thanks to a random draw for starting positions. Martin Truex Jr. will roll off first at Talladega, and he will be surrounded by his own teammates.

Denny Hamlin, who drew the pole for last week's race at Homestead on his way to a victory, will join Truex on the front row to start the Talladega race. Behind them will be teammate Kyle Busch, who drew the No. 3 position, and Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson.

Below is the protocol for how the Cup Series field was set at Talladega:

  • 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 Talladega

The same protocol that set the lineup for Monday's Talladega race will be used for all NASCAR Cup Series races currently confirmed on the 2020 schedule. NASCAR is proceeding without qualifying and practice sessions prior to races in an effort to limit time spent at the track amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The only exception will be next week's Sunday race at Pocono, which is the second leg of a doubleheader. An front-half inversion of the results from the Saturday race will determine the starting lineup for Sunday's race.

As for Monday's race at Talladega, the draw for the starting lineup took place Thursday. Below are the results:

Pos. Driver Car No. Team
1 Martin Truex Jr. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
2 Denny Hamlin 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
3 Kyle Busch 18 Joe Gibbs Racing
4 Jimmie Johnson 48 Hendrick Motorsports
5 Kevin Harvick 4 Stewart-Haas Racing
6 Brad Keselowski 2 Team Penske
7 Kurt Busch 1 Chip Ganassi Racing
8 Alex Bowman 88 Hendrick Motorsports
9 Joey Logano 22 Team Penske
10 Clint Bowyer 14 Stewart-Haas Racing
11 Chase Elliott 9 Hendrick Motorsports
12 Ryan Blaney 12 Team Penske
13 Matt Kenseth 42 Chip Ganassi Racing
14 Ryan Newman 6 Roush Fenway Racing
15 Aric Almirola 10 Stewart-Haas Racing
16 Tyler Reddick 8 Richard Childress Racing
17 Austin Dillon 3 Richard Childress Racing
18 Erik Jones 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
19 William Byron 24 Hendrick Motorsports
20 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing
21 Chris Buescher 17 Roush Fenway Racing
22 John Hunter Nemechek 38 Front Row Motorsports
23 Matt DiBenedetto 21 Wood Brothers Racing
24 Bubba Wallace 43 Richard Petty Motorsports
25 Corey LaJoie 32 Go Fas Racing
26 Michael McDowell 34 Front Row Motorsports
27 Brennan Poole 15 Premium Motorsports
28 Cole Custer 41 Stewart-Haas Racing
29 Gray Gaulding 27 Rick Ware Racing
30 BJ McLeod 77 Spire Motorsports
31 Ryan Preece 37 JTG Daugherty Racing
32 Quin Houff 00 StarCom Racing
33 Ty Dillon 13 Germain Racing
34 JJ Yeley 53 Rick Ware Racing
35 Christopher Bell 95 Leavine Family Racing
36 Joey Gase 51 Petty Ware Racing
37 Daniel Suarez 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing
38 Timmy Hill 66 Motorsports Business Management
39 Brendan Gaughan 62 Beard Motorsports
40 Garrett Smithley 78 B.J. McLeod Motorsports

Tadd Haislop

Tadd Haislop is the Associate NFL Editor at SportingNews.com.