The starting lineup for Saturday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway, the first race of a weekend doubleheader at the Pennsylvania track, was set by applying the statistical formula NASCAR is using for the majority of the series' races in 2021.
NASCAR returned to the formula after holding qualifying last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway.
Drivers' starting positions for the Pocono Organics CBD 325 (3 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TSN2, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) were based on four factors:
- Driver's finishing position from the previous race (25 percent)
- Car owner's finishing position from the previous race (25 percent)
- Team owner points ranking (35 percent)
- Fastest lap from the previous race (15 percent)
NASCAR is conducting qualifying and practice for just eight Cup Series races in the 2021 season. The remaining sessions will be held at Road America, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Phoenix. Road America and the Indy road course are new tracks on NASCAR's Cup schedule, and Phoenix is the site of the season-ending Championship 4 race.
Below is the starting lineup, which was set without qualifying, for Saturday's NASCAR Cup Series race on Pocono Raceway's 2.5-mile tri-oval.
MORE: Watch Saturday's NASCAR race live with fuboTV (free 7-day trial)
Who won the pole for the NASCAR Saturday race at Pocono?
Kyle Larson will lead the field to the green flag Saturday. The Hendrick Motorsports driver is the hottest wheel man on the planet with wins in three consecutive points-paying races and a victory in the All-Star Race exhibition sandwiched between them. Larson is second in the season point standings, just 10 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.
Teammate William Byron will be next to Larson on the front row Saturday. Byron finished third at Nashville and is third in the point standings.
The rest of the top 10: Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell and Hamlin.
Larson's pole assignment gave him the No. 1 pit stall position Saturday.
NASCAR starting lineup at Pocono
NASCAR used a mathematical formula to set the starting lineup for Saturday's race at Pocono Raceway, the Pocono Organics CBD 325, without qualifying.
The starting grid for Sunday's race, the Explore the Pocono Mountains 350, will be set differently: NASCAR will invert the order of the top 20 finishers in Saturday's race, meaning the race winner will start 20th and the 20th-place finisher will start on the pole Sunday. The bottom 18 finishers in the 38-car field (21st through 38th) Saturday will be assigned the same positions Sunday.
Saturday lineup
| Start pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 3 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 4 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 5 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 6 | Ross Chastain | 42 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 7 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 8 | Kurt Busch | 1 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 9 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 10 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 11 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 12 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 13 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 14 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing Team |
| 15 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 16 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 17 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 18 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | Team Penske |
| 19 | Ryan Newman | 6 | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 20 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 21 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 22 | Erik Jones | 43 | Richard Petty Motorsports |
| 23 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 24 | Anthony Alfredo | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 25 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 26 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 27 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 28 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 29 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 30 | Garrett Smithley | 53 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 31 | Ryan Preece | 37 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 32 | BJ McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
| 33 | Josh Bilicki | 52 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 34 | Justin Haley | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 35 | Cody Ware | 51 | Petty Ware Racing |
| 36 | James Davison | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 37 | Quin Houff | 00 | StarCom Racing |
| 38 | Timmy Hill | 66 | Motorsports Business Management |
Sunday lineup
| Pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 2 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 3 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 4 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 5 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 6 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 7 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 8 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing Team |
| 9 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 10 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 11 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | Team Penske |
| 12 | Kyle Larson* | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 13 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 14 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 15 | Kurt Busch | 1 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 16 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 17 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 18 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 19 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 20 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 21 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 22 | Erik Jones | 43 | Richard Petty Motorsports |
| 23 | Ryan Preece | 37 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 24 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 25 | Cody Ware | 51 | Petty Ware Racing |
| 26 | Anthony Alfredo | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 27 | Justin Haley | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 28 | James Davison | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 29 | Garrett Smithley | 53 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 30 | BJ McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
| 31 | Quin Houff | 00 | Starcom Racing |
| 32 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 33 | Ross Chastain | 42 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 34 | Josh Bilicki | 52 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 35 | Timmy Hill | 66 | Motorsports Business Management |
| 36 | Corey Lajoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 37 | Ryan Newman | 6 | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 38 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
*Larson will start at the rear of the field and race in a backup car Sunday because of a crash in Saturday's race.
