Logano Snags Atlanta Cup Pole On Tiebreaker Over Berry

Joey Logano celebrates the Busch Light Pole Award at EchoPark Speedway. (Peter Casey/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

HAMPTON, Ga. – Friday evening, for the first time in nearly two decades, the NASCAR Cup Series decided the Busch Light Pole Award on a tiebreaker in qualifying.

Team Penske’s Joey Logano and Wood Brothers Racing’s Josh Berry turned matching 30.979-second (178.960 mph) laps at EchoPark Speedway, with Logano getting the nod for the top starting spot because his No. 22 Autotrader Ford is higher in car owner points.

It’s the 32nd career Cup Series pole for Logano in his 597th start, and the first recorded instance of a tiebreaker being needed to determine a premier series pole since April 2007 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

“I’ve never seen that … not for the pole,” Logano said after qualifying. “I’m glad I’m on this end of it.”

Logano will have a clear windshield in front of him as he chases his third career victory in Atlanta, after winning at least one race at the 1.54-mile quad-oval in each of the past two seasons.

Berry had to settle for the outside of the front row instead of what would have been his first Cup Series pole position, but he was still part of a top-four sweep for Penske-affiliated entries.

Logano’s two house teammates – Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric – start third and fourth, respectively, with RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece lining up fifth.

Adding in RFK co-owner Brad Keselowski, Haas Factory Team’s Cole Custer, and Front Row Motorsports’ Zane Smith, Ford swept the top eight grid positions ahead of the Quaker State 400.

It’s a statement Logano believes should aid the vaunted ‘Blue Oval Brigade’, at least early on Saturday.

“Being up front and controlling this race is the name of the game. If you can get up there and solidify the top positions, I feel like you can stay there,” Logano told Motorsports Hotspot. “The thing is there’s a lot of what-ifs that play out in this race, a lot of cautions that may be timed in a different way where it can jumble up the field. It’s hard to say you’re going to be leading every lap of this thing. It’s kind of hard to accomplish.

“The good thing is we controlled what we could today. I’m super proud of Team Penske, Roush Yates [Engines], Ford, obviously, everyone that worked to keep our Mustangs up there,” he continued. “It really shows the ability to repeat from car to car. That’s something that’s really hard to do. When you see we tied with the [No.] 21 [Berry] … and I think all the other [Penske] cars were all within a couple hundredths of a second, and you think of all the parts and pieces on a race car and how you can put them together, to make them all end up the same like that is pretty impressive.

“It shows the discipline and quality control is definitely there, so I’m proud to see that. That part is cool to show as an example now, but tomorrow is a whole new day.”

Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman was the fastest Chevrolet driver in ninth and recent Pocono Raceway winner Chase Briscoe led the Toyota contingent by qualifying 10th.

Notables starting deeper in the field include Kyle Larson (11th), Chase Elliott (15th), Ty Gibbs (16th), two-time Daytona 500 winner William Byron (18th), Bubba Wallace (24th), February Atlanta winner Christopher Bell (28th), and Denny Hamlin (33rd).

With 40 cars entered for 40 starting spots, all drivers made the field for the 18th race of the season.

Rick Ware Racing’s Corey LaJoie was the fastest Open (non-chartered) driver in time trials and will start 25th, while teenage sensation Connor Zilisch rolls off 36th in a fourth entry for Trackhouse Racing.

Of note, a half-hour lightning delay interrupted the proceedings after 14 cars had qualified, but the full round was eventually able to be completed.

Time trials were trimmed from two rounds to one after a similar delay occurred in Xfinity Series drills.

Broadcast coverage of Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 available at Walmart is slated for 7 p.m. ET, live on TNT, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.