WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Denny Hamlin has won the NASCAR Cup pole for Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen International.
Hamlin traversed the 2.45-mile layout at 125.534 mph to take the top spot in the No. 11 Toyota, ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch. It’s Hamlin’s 27th career pole in Cup.
Chase Elliott, who topped the first round of qualifying, will start third in the No. 9 Chevy, followed by Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson.
Joey Logano, who won the Xfinity race moments earlier, qualified sixth, followed by Aric Almirola, AJ Allmendinger, Erik Jones, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Blaney and Michael McDowell.
Truex and seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson fought to get back in the top 12 at the end of the opening round after dropping out.
Truex climbed to fourth, dropping Johnson to 13th and out of the running for the 10-minute second round.
Kevin Harvick, tied with Busch for the series lead with six wins, also failed to advance and will start 16th.
XFINITY: Joey Logano held off a late challenge from Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday at Watkins Glen International.
Logano started from pole in a road race that was red-flagged for rain, forcing the drivers to briefly switch to rain tires. He beat AJ Allmendinger by 3.3 seconds. Justin Allgaier was third, followed by Justin Haley and Aric Almirola. It was Logano’s third win in the series at The Glen and 30th overall, seventh on the career list.
Keselowski spun out trying to pass Logano with under three laps to go and finished 10th.
The Penske drivers struggled on rain tires. They weren’t alone. Rookie Christopher Bell, who leads the points standings and was chasing a record-tying fourth consecutive win, finished ninth in a race on a track he had never raced on. Bell became the first series driver since Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 1999 to win three straight with a victory last week at Iowa. Sam Ard set the record of four consecutive Xfinity Series wins in 1983.
Logano took control on the final restart of the race with under 10 laps to go in the 82-lap race around the 2.45-mile layout. He dived to the inside on the first turn, making it three-wide . The move forced Keselowski, who was leading, wide as Logano assumed the top spot.
It became a two-car race as Keselowski recovered and the two pulled away. With four laps to go, Keselowski was on Logano’s back bumper as the two went nose-to-tail.
Keselowski lost his chance to challenge for the victory when he skidded out on the first with under three laps to go.
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