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Reddick to Start up Front for Southern 500 After Lightning Cancels Darlington Qualifying
NASCAR used its performance metric after lightning canceled qualifying, giving Tyler Reddick the pole and Daniel Suárez the front row for the 367-lap race.
Inclement weather canceled Saturday's qualifying for Sunday's Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, forcing NASCAR to set the starting lineup using its performance metric, placing Tyler Reddick on the pole with Daniel Suarez on the front row.
NASCAR determined the starting order using a performance metric formula, with 70% based on last week's Daytona results and 30% derived from owner's points.
Other contenders face varying starting positions; Ryan Blaney starts 24th and Kyle Larson 25th, while Carson Hocevar and Chris Buescher face difficult afternoons, relegated to 34th and 35th respectively by the metric.
Sunday's race marks the opening of "The Chase," NASCAR's 10-race playoff series, where sixteen drivers will compete for the 2026 Cup Series championship beginning with the green flag at Darlington.
Reddick, who won at Darlington in March, called the qualifying cancellation a "best-case scenario," stating, "With how we ran last spring, we're rock solid and expect more of the same tomorrow.