Brad Keselowski Earns the All-Star Race Pole at North Wilkesboro

Brad Keselowski credited a total team effort to his pole run for the NASCAR All-Star Race. (Scott Sprinkle/Race Face Digital photo)

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. – RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski won the pole for the All-Star Race, giving him the first starting spot in the first of the two All-Star Race heats with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell taking the top starting spot in the second heat race.

Keselowski ran a 87.363 second (77.264 mph) qualifying run, which included a four-tire pit stop in his No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

“It doesn’t hurt to be on the pole, especially to win the pole by that much," Keselowski said. “It’s just a total team effort. This event and this format pushes you to your limits.”

“I stuck my part, I knew I stuck the entry, and that I didn’t get a speeding penalty. Jeremy Bullins (crew chief) and the pit crew just gave me the ball and said “let’s go play.””

Alex Bowman joins Keselowski on the outside of the front row in the first heat race.

William Byron, Austin Dillon, and Tyler Reddick complete the top-five in the first heat race.

Bell’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Brisoe joins the Toyota Racing driver on the front row, followed by Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, and Chase Elliott.

Defending All-Star Race winner Logano had a slower stop on pit road when his rear tire change fell as he came around for the left rear tire. Despite the fall, the four-tire stop, and the three-time champion’s speed, was still good enough to place him in the third starting-spot in the second heat race.

Justin Allgaier, who is filling in for Kyle Larson as the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion practices for the Indianapolis 500 in Indiana, ran the 15th fastest qualifying run of the session in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet.

NASCAR ruled that Allgaier would have to run in the All-Star Open if Hendrick had opted to utilize their reserve driver. Larson’s team opted not to run the All-Star Open and simply forgo the heat races, guaranteeing a last-place starting spot in the All-Star Race.