NASCAR lineup at Watkins Glen: Starting order, pole for Sunday’s race without qualifying

The starting lineup for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International was set by applying the statistical formula NASCAR is using for the majority of the series’ races in 2021.

Drivers’ starting positions for the Go Bowling at The Glen (3 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) were based on four factors:

• Driver’s finishing position from the previous race (25 percent)
• Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race (25 percent)
• Team owner points ranking (35 percent)
• Fastest lap from the previous race (15 percent)

NASCAR is conducting qualifying and practice for just eight Cup Series races in the 2021 season. The remaining sessions will be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Aug. 15 and Phoenix for the Championship 4 season-ending race on Nov. 7.

Below is the starting lineup, which was set without qualifying, for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race on Watkins Glen’s 3.4-mile road course.

MORE: Watch Sunday’s NASCAR race live with fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

Who won the pole for the NASCAR race at Watkins Glen?

Brad Keselowski drew the pole position for Sunday’s race. The Team Penske driver has produced two top-five finishes and two top-10 finishes in his last five races.

His teammate Joey Logano will join him on the front row. Logano drew the No. 2 position on the strength of his fourth-place finish at New Hampshire in the last race before the Olympic break.

Ryan Blaney made it a Team Penske sweep of the top three qualifying places for Sunday. Blaney has three top-fives and a top-10 in his last five races. 

All three drivers have already qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs by winning a race.

Of the top four drivers on the playoff bubble, two of them will start next to each other Sunday. Kevin Harvick will start fifth and series points leader Denny Hamlin will start sixth. Tyler Reddick will start 13th and Austin Dillon will start 16th.

NASCAR starting lineup at Watkins Glen

NASCAR used a mathematical formula to set the starting lineup for Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen International, the Go Bowling at The Glen. Thirty-seven cars were entered for the race.