The NASCAR Cup Series drivers are heading to Atlanta Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. The race will provide another opportunity for drivers to reach the playoffs, and the points leader will lead them to the green flag. Denny Hamlin has won the Busch Pole and will line up next to teammate Martin Truex Jr. on the front row.
NASCAR determined the starting order using a formula based on multiple factors, resulting in Hamlin’s second pole of the season. 25% of the formula is the driver’s finishing position from the previous race. Another 25% is the car owner’s finishing position from the previous race. 35% is the team owner’s points ranking, and the final 15% is the fastest lap from the previous race.
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.@dennyhamlin will start on the #BuschPole this Sunday at @amsupdates. pic.twitter.com/gibx24SAWl
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 17, 2021
A member of the championship four in 2020, Hamlin has yet to win a race in 2021. However, he still sits atop the points standings with 236 after several strong performances and four top-five finishes. Brad Keselowski, the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford Mustang, is second with 197 points. Keselowski will start Sunday’s race in the fourth position while teammate Joey Logano starts in third.
Prior to Sunday’s race, NASCAR announced that the No. 2 team would not have a key figure available. Crew Chief Jeremy Bullins received a one-race suspension and a $20,000 fine after a post-race inspection revealed two lug nuts not safe or secure. Daniel Suarez and the No. 99 team had the same issue, resulting in crew chief Travis Mack’s suspension.
The Folds of Honor QuikTrip takes place on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Fox will provide the coverage for the race, which takes place shortly after 3 p.m. ET. Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy, and Clint Bowyer will call the action from the booth while Jamie Little and Regan Smith serve as pit reporters.
The Cup Series race will feature a special guest and a member of the Fox Sports family. Erin Andrews, who works the top NFL game each week of the season and the playoffs, will serve as the grand marshal for Sunday’s race. She will utter the most iconic words in sports while telling the drivers to start their engines as part of a sponsor activation for Tubi, the free content streaming service owned by Fox.
