NASCAR Cup SeriesNASCAR Truck SeriesNASCAR Xfinity Series

Brad Keselowski, A.J. Allmendinger, John Hunter Nemechek on poles for Throwback Weekend

4 Mins read
Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images

The beloved NASCAR throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway moves to the spring, and Brad Keselowski, A.J. Allmendinger, and John Hunter Nemechek will lead their respective fields to kick it off. Nemechek starts on the pole for Friday’s Camping World Truck Series LiftKits4Less 200, followed by Allmendinger on Saturday for the Xfinity SeriesSteakhouse Elite 200. Keselowski will do so for the Cup Series in Sunday’s Goodyear 400.

Cup: Keselowski leads Ford front row

For the second straight race, Keselowski will start on the pole. The Talladega winner led 72 laps and finished third at Kansas. It will be his third start from first in 2021 and third at Darlington; he won the 2018 Southern 500. Despite the festivities, Keselowski’s #2 Ford will have Freightliner sponsorship with no throwback.

Fellow Ford driver Kevin Harvick, on the other hand, has a Mobil 1 throwback planned and will start second. He is a three-time winner at Darlington, and won two of the track’s three Cup races in 2020. However, he has not started in the top five since 2017.

Ryan Preece, who starts twenty-ninth, is the lone car in the field without a charter. Austin Cindric and Matt Mills will not return after racing at Kansas.

Rick Ware Racing is responsible for two driver changes from Kansas as James Davison takes over the #15 from Joey Gase and J.J. Yeley replaces Garrett Smithley in the #53.

StartNumberDriverTeamManufacturer
12Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord
24Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingFord
318Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
419Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
524William ByronHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
69Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
711Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
821Matt DiBenedettoWood Brothers RacingFord
93Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
108Tyler ReddickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
1117Chris BuescherRoush Fenway RacingFord
1222Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord
1334Michael McDowellFront Row MotorsportsFord
145Kyle LarsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
1599Daniel SuárezTrackhouse Racing TeamChevrolet
1612Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeFord
171Kurt BuschChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet
1842Ross ChastainChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet
1948Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
206Ryan NewmanRoush Fenway RacingFord
2120Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
2214Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas RacingFord
2323Bubba Wallace23XI RacingToyota
2441Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord
2538Anthony AlfredoFront Row MotorsportsFord
2643Erik JonesRichard Petty MotorsportsChevrolet
2710Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas RacingFord
2847Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet
2937Ryan PreeceJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet
307Corey LaJoieSpire MotorsportsChevrolet
3177Justin Haley*Spire MotorsportsChevrolet
3278B.J. McLeod*Live Fast MotorsportsFord
3351Cody Ware*Rick Ware RacingChevrolet
3453J.J. Yeley*Rick Ware RacingFord
3500Quin HouffStarCom RacingChevrolet
3615James DavisonRick Ware RacingChevrolet
3752Josh BilickiRick Ware RacingFord
Italics – Competing for Rookie of the Year
* – Ineligible for Cup points
Credit: Kaulig Racing

Xfinity: Allmendinger lone throwback pole-sitter

For the first time in 2021, Allmendinger will start on the pole after finishing third at Talladega two weeks prior. It is his first front-row starting position since winning the pole at Road America in 2019. Unlike his peers, Allmendinger will actually join the throwback fun as his car will sport a livery modelled after his car from his lone Cup win at Watkins Glen in 2014.

Points leader Cindric will start second. It is his seventh front-row spot in nine races.

Brandon Gdovic is in Sam Hunt Racing‘s #26 that Colin Garrett drove at Talladega, while Ty Gibbs takes over the #54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota from Ty Dillon. Ryan Ellis replaces Mason Massey in B.J. McLeod Motorsports‘ #99, Tanner Berryhill is in Our Motorsports‘ #23 that Natalie Decker drove, B.J. McLeod is in the #90 for DGM Racing in Caesar Bacarella‘s place, and Matt Jaskol inherits the #13 of MBM Motorsports from Jason White.

Ronnie Bassett Jr., Jordan Anderson, and Andy Lally continue to be the DNQs. Anderson, along with four other drivers, switched to Truck points earlier in the week.

StartNumberDriverTeamManufacturer
116A.J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet
222Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord
310Jeb BurtonKaulig RacingChevrolet
411Justin HaleyKaulig RacingChevrolet
59Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet
698Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord
718Daniel HemricJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
820Harrison BurtonJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
968Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet
102Myatt SniderRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
1139Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord
1251Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet
1302Brett MoffittOur MotorsportsChevrolet
1444Tommy Joe MartinsMartins MotorsportsChevrolet
1566Timmy Hill*MBM MotorsportsFord
167Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet
1761David StarrMBM MotorsportsToyota
1848Jade BufordBig Machine RacingChevrolet
194Landon CassillJD MotorsportsChevrolet
201Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet
2192Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet
2219Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
2336Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet
248Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet
2515Colby HowardJD MotorsportsChevrolet
2647Kyle WeathermanMike Harmon RacingChevrolet
2726Brandon GdovicSam Hunt RacingToyota
280Jeffrey EarnhardtJD MotorsportsChevrolet
2954Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
3007Joe Graf Jr.SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet
3178Jesse LittleB.J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet
325Matt MillsB.J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet
3399Ryan EllisB.J. McLeod MotorsportsToyota
346Ryan VargasJD MotorsportsChevrolet
3517J.J. YeleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet
3623Tanner BerryhillOur MotorsportsChevrolet
3752Gray GauldingJimmy Means RacingChevrolet
3890B.J. McLeod*DGM RacingChevrolet
3974Bayley Currey*Mike Harmon RacingChevrolet
4013Matt JaskolMBM MotorsportsToyota
Italics – Competing for Rookie of the Year
* – Ineligible for Xfinity points
Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Trucks: Nemechek at 50% pole rate in 2021

With how Nemechek has dominated the Truck Series since his return earlier this year, it comes with little surprise that the points leader will start on the pole. The two-time race winner in 2021 has received a first-place starting position in four of eight races. It will be his first Truck start at Darlington, which rejoined the series’ schedule last year as a temporary date before becoming a permanent event, but he has a ninth-place finish in his maiden Cup start there in 2020.

Fellow Toyota driver Austin Hill starts second.

Driver changes from Kansas are as follows: Corey Heim makes his series début as Nemechek’s team-mate in the #51 for Kyle Busch Motorsports that the eponymous owner/driver ran, Grant Enfinger moves back from CR7 Motorsports‘ #9 to ThorSport Racing‘s #98 that Christian Eckes drove, which means Codie Rohrbaugh is back in the #9, Ryan Reed replaces Raphaël Lessard in GMS Racing‘s #24 after the latter was ousted from the ride, Erik Darnell makes his first Truck start since 2008 in Niece Motorsports’ #45, Cory Roper is back in his #04 that Chase Briscoe drove, and Bayley Currey is in Niece’s #44 after driving the #45.

David Gilliland Racing‘s #17, which skipped the last two races after Taylor Gray was hurt, returns to the track with their ownder/driver at the helm, as does the part-time entry of Parker Kligerman. Reaume Brothers Racing will have two different drivers from last week as Akinori Ogata is in the #34 and McLeod drives the #33.

StartNumberDriverTeamManufacturer
14John Hunter NemechekKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota
216Austin HillHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota
321Zane SmithGMS RacingChevrolet
499Ben RhodesThorSport RacingToyota
538Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord
613Johnny SauterThorSport RacingToyota
752Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota
818Chandler SmithKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota
988Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota
101Hailie DeeganDavid Gilliland RacingFord
1115Tanner GrayDavid Gilliland RacingFord
1222Austin Wayne SelfAM RacingChevrolet
1351Corey HeimKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota
1442Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet
152Sheldon CreedGMS RacingChevrolet
1626Tyler AnkrumGMS RacingChevrolet
1798Grant EnfingerThorSport RacingToyota
1840Ryan TruexNiece MotorsportsChevrolet
1924Ryan ReedGMS RacingChevrolet
2019Derek KrausMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingToyota
2125Timothy PetersRackley WARChevrolet
2245Erik DarnellNiece MotorsportsChevrolet
2334Akinori OgataReaume Brothers RacingToyota
2423Chase PurdyGMS RacingChevrolet
259Codie RohrbaughCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet
2656Timmy HillHill MotorsportsChevrolet
2730Danny BohnOn Point MotorsportsToyota
2811Spencer DavisSpencer Davis MotorsportsToyota
2904Cory RoperRoper RacingFord
3002Kris WrightYoung’s MotorsportsChevrolet
313Jordan AndersonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet
3241Dawson CramCram Racing EnterprisesChevrolet
3312Tate FoglemanYoung’s MotorsportsChevrolet
3420Spencer BoydYoung’s MotorsportsChevrolet
3517David GillilandDavid Gilliland RacingFord
3675Parker KligermanHenderson MotorsportsChevrolet
3710Jennifer Jo CobbJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet
3844Bayley CurreyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet
3933B.J. McLeodReaume Brothers RacingChevrolet
406Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet
Italics – Competing for Rookie of the Year
* – Ineligible for Truck points
Avatar photo
3556 posts

About author
Justin is not an off-road racer, but he writes about it for The Checkered Flag.
Articles
Related posts
NASCAR Truck Series

Spencer Boyd launches Freedom Racing Enterprises

1 Mins read
NASCAR Truck Series regular Spencer Boyd and Freedom Warranty owner Chris Miller have created Freedom Racing Enterprises, which will field the #76 Chevrolet in 2024.
NASCAR Xfinity Series

Young's Motorsports adds Xfinity programme with Honeyman

1 Mins read
NASCAR Truck team Young’s Motorsports will expand to the Xfinity Series in 2024 with Leland Honeyman Jr. as the driver of the #42.
NASCAR Truck Series

Chase Purdy signs with Spire for 2024 Trucks

1 Mins read
With Kyle Busch Motorsports being purchased by Spire Motorsports, Chase Purdy will stick through the transition and drive their #77 truck for the 2024 season.