Bobby Travis · NASCAR/IndyCar Correspondent
Tyler Reddick posts the quickest qualifying lap for the Dollar Tree 301, putting 23XI Racing on the front row of the grid at the Magic Mile.
Tyler Reddick secured the pole position Saturday in qualifying for the Dollar Tree 301. On the 1.058-mile oval at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the driver of the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing set the fastest lap of the session in 29.054 seconds, edging out Josh Berry and William Byron for second and third place. The result determines the starting lineup for the 301-lap race Sunday, which will begin at 2 p.m. ET rather than the originally scheduled 3 p.m. due to expected rain in the forecast.
Reddick Edges Berry and Byron: Tight Battle at the Front
The top ten in qualifying were bunched about as tightly as you'd expect on the Magic Mile. Reddick's best time of 29.054 seconds was just 15 thousandths ahead of Josh Berry in the Wood Brothers Ford, who turned in the second-fastest lap at 29.069 seconds. William Byron completed the front row for Hendrick Motorsports with 29.079 seconds, only two thousandths ahead of Denny Hamlin in fourth.
The rest of the top ten rounded out with Shane van Gisbergen (29.106), Christopher Bell (29.174), Ty Gibbs (29.187), Ryan Blaney (29.198), Kyle Larson (29.199), and Alex Bowman (29.204). Van Gisbergen's fifth-place finish stands out: the Trackhouse driver, known primarily from road course racing, once again demonstrates how quickly he can establish himself at the sharp end on ovals like this one. Ryan Blaney, who won in Loudon the previous year according to preview reports, locked in a solid eighth-place starting position without matching the pace of the front-runners.
Erik Jones Falls from Friday's Best to Midfield Grid Spot
Erik Jones had set the fastest time in free practice Friday afternoon in the Legacy Motor Club Toyota, posting 29.242 seconds, trailed by Ty Gibbs and Bubba Wallace. Qualifying told a different story. Jones improved his own time to 29.219 seconds, but that only netted him 11th on the grid as the entire field stepped up significantly. Ty Gibbs slipped from second in practice to seventh on the starting grid, though he remained inside the top ten.
The hit was far more painful for Bubba Wallace. The 23XI driver was third on Friday, but qualified 23rd on Sunday's grid. For a driver battling for playoff positioning, such a step backward on the eve of the second-to-last regular season race hardly comes as welcome news, even if starting position alone doesn't determine how Sunday's race will unfold.
Penske Mixed Results, Playoff Bubble Drivers Feel the Pressure
Team Penske entered the weekend as a favorite based on recent strength on flat short tracks, according to preview reports. The qualifying picture painted a mixed result. Ryan Blaney secured a usable starting position in eighth place, but Joey Logano fell from a fourth-place grid spot in practice to 21st, while Austin Cindric slotted in even further back at 26th. Reddick's pole and the strong performances from Byron, Hamlin, and van Gisbergen suggest that 23XI, Hendrick, and Joe Gibbs Racing have plenty to counter any Penske dominance this weekend.
For drivers on the playoff bubble, including Carson Hocevar (22nd), William Byron (third), and Wallace himself, every grid position matters before the second-to-last regular season race according to preview coverage. With rain in the weather forecast, NASCAR moved the start up by an hour and provisionally allocated teams four sets of Goodyear rain tires. Whether Reddick can convert his pole into a victory over 301 laps on the Magic Mile, or whether Blaney and the Penske crew can work their way back to the front in pack racing, remains to be decided on race day itself, a result that could mean far more than simple finishing position for the bubble drivers.
