NASCAR Cup Series

Bubba Wallace becomes first black Cup pole winner in 60 years

2 Mins read
Credit: Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

For the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career, Bubba Wallace will start on the pole after topping qualifying for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. In doing so, he became only the second black pole sitter in Cup history after Wendell Scott in 1962, and the third in any NASCAR national series with Bill Lester the other.

Wallace was the only driver of the thirty-seven entered to set a qualifying speed of over 190 miles per hour at 190.703 mph (118.497 km/h) with a lap time of 37.755 seconds. He led a trio of Toyotas as Joe Gibbs Racing allies Christopher Bell and Kyle Busch followed, with Wallace’s time being .160 quicker than Bell.

Besides being the maiden Cup pole for Wallace and his 23XI Racing team, the driver secured his sixth career national series pole and first since the 2014 Xfinity Series race at Dover. His previous best Cup starting spot was fourth at New Hampshire in July.

“Let’s go! First time pole sitter here,” Wallace said in a Twitter video“So excited, so pumped, so proud of my team. McDonald’s Toyota Camry is super fast, the test that we had here a couple months ago definitely proved that.

“Now, we’re showing back up to come get the big trophy when it matters.”

Scott recorded his lone Cup pole for the Savannah Speedway race on 20 July 1962, where he finished eighth. Forty-one years later, Lester won his first of three poles in the Truck Series at Charlotte. Lester then added two more in 2005 at Kansas and Kentucky, and he scored a top five at the former.

Although a pole does not guarantee a victory on Sunday, it is a positive step for Wallace in his pursuit of a playoff spot. With four races remaining in the regular season, he is twentieth in points and arguably would have already been in position to qualify had he not been set back by pit crew mistakes.

Michigan has been a solid track for Wallace throughout his career, having won there in the Truck Series in 2017 (although his truck failed post-race inspection, the win stood as NASCAR’s current disqualification process had not been implemented). He also finished tenth in an Xfinity Series one-off there in 2021. In eight Cup starts at Michigan, his best finish is ninth at 2020 Race #1, while he placed nineteenth with 23XI last year.

Qualifying results

PositionNumberDriverTeamManufacturerBest TimeBest Speed (mph)
123Bubba Wallace23XI RacingToyota37.755190.703
220Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota37.915189.898
318Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota37.921189.868
422Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord37.993189.509
52Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord38.005189.449
68Tyler ReddickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet38.090189.026
719Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota38.151188.724
85Kyle LarsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet38.175188.605
911Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota38.209188.437
1043Erik JonesPetty GMS MotorsportsChevrolet38.366187.666
1145Ty Gibbs*23XI RacingToyota38.218188.393
1216Noah Gragson*Kaulig RacingChevrolet38.248188.245
139Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet38.270188.137
1434Michael McDowellFront Row MotorsportsFord38.287188.053
1599Daniel SuárezTrackhouse Racing TeamChevrolet38.306187.960
164Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingFord38.333187.828
1741Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord38.380187.598
1810Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas RacingFord38.385187.573
1917Chris BuescherRFK RacingFord38.448187.266
2024William ByronHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet38.463187.193
2131Justin HaleyKaulig RacingChevrolet38.482187.100
221Ross ChastainTrackhouse Racing TeamChevrolet38.502187.003
2314Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas RacingFord38.526186.887
2412Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeFord38.551186.766
2542Ty DillonPetty GMS MotorsportsChevrolet38.617186.446
263Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet38.639186.340
2721Harrison BurtonWood Brothers RacingFord38.641186.331
2847Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet38.697186.061
2915J.J. Yeley*Rick Ware RacingFord38.803185.553
3048Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet38.814185.500
3133Austin Hill*Richard Childress RacingChevrolet38.875185.209
327Corey LaJoieSpire MotorsportsChevrolet38.940184.900
336Brad KeselowskiRFK RacingFord38.997184.630
3451Cody WareRick Ware RacingFord39.021184.516
3577Josh Bilicki*Spire MotorsportsChevrolet39.308183.169
3678B.J. McLeod*Live Fast MotorsportsFord39.308183.169
3738Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord39.317183.127
Italics – Competing for Rookie of the Year
* – Ineligible for points
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