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5 Biggest Winners and Losers From Brickyard 400 Qualifying
Saturdays qualifying session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway did more than determine the starting lineup for Sundays Brickyard 400.It also created clear winners and losers before a single lap of the race has been completed.Carson Hocevar delivered another statement performance for Spire Motorsports by winning the pole, while several championship contenders were left with considerably more work to do on one of NASCARs toughest tracks to pass.Here are the five biggest winners and losers from Brickyard 400 qualifying.Winner: Carson HocevarThere was no bigger winner than Hocevar.The Spire Motorsports driver put together the fastest lap of qualifying, edging Daniel Surez to earn the pole for one of NASCARs crown jewel races.Starting from the front at Indianapolis is always valuable, and Hocevar now has the first opportunity to control Sundays race heading into Turn 1.Winner: Daniel SurezSurez came up just short of the pole, but a front-row starting spot means a Spire Motorsports sweep.The veteran has shown flashes of speed throughout the season, and beginning Sundays race alongside Hocevar puts him in position to challenge for one of the biggest victories of his Cup Series career.Winner: Corey HeimMaking just another Cup Series appearance, Heim quietly turned one of the strongest qualifying laps of the afternoon.The 23XI Racing development driver will roll off seventh, giving him an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience while racing near the front of the field against NASCARs biggest stars.Loser: Chase ElliottElliotts qualifying run left him with plenty of work to do.The Hendrick Motorsports driver will start 27th, meaning hell have to navigate traffic for much of the afternoon if he hopes to contend for the win.Passing has historically been difficult at Indianapolis, making track position especially important.Loser: Bubba WallaceWallace finds himself in a similar situation.The 23XI Racing driver qualified 29th, leaving him buried in the pack despite entering one of NASCARs biggest races of the season.With strategy and clean air often deciding races at Indianapolis, Wallace will need to make up ground quickly to avoid spending much of the afternoon mired in traffic.The Full Starting OrderHere is where the field will take the green flag for Sundays Brickyard 400:Carson HocevarDaniel SurezTyler ReddickTy GibbsDenny HamlinMichael McDowellCorey HeimAlex BowmanAJ AllmendingerKyle LarsonChase BriscoeCole CusterRyan BlaneyErik JonesChris BuescherBrad KeselowskiJohn Hunter NemechekRiley HerbstJoey LoganoAustin DillonWilliam ByronRoss ChastainChristopher BellRicky Stenhouse Jr.Shane van GisbergenJosh BerryChase ElliottTy DillonBubba WallaceZane SmithConnor ZilischAustin HillNoah GragsonRyan PreeceAustin CindricTodd GillilandCody WareCasey MearsDaniel DyeQualifying doesnt hand out trophies, but it often shapes the race at Indianapolis. Hocevar, Surez and Heim enter Sunday with the advantage of prime track position, while drivers like Elliott and Wallace will have to rely on strategy, pit execution and timely passes to climb through the field.
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