Ty Gibbs grabs pole at Pocono

gettyimages-2161905292 — LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 Monster Energy Toyota, poses for photos after winning the pole award during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway on July 13, 2024 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs earned his second career NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Pole Position Saturday claiming the top starting spot for Sunday’s The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The 21-year old Gibbs will line up first in the No. 54 JGR Toyota, equaling his best previous series qualifying effort at Charlotte Motor Speedway this May. His lap of 170.039 mph around the 2.5-mile Pocono oval was .118-seconds faster than William Byron in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

“Definitely satisfying for sure,’’ Gibbs said, adding, “We were really fast and I just appreciate all the effort from my Monster Energy team, wouldn’t be here without them and all my sponsors. It was really really fun and the car is really good. So we’ll see what we can do and hopefully we can get a win tomorrow.’’

Three of the four JGR drivers advanced the final round of qualifying. And it was an all-JGR second row including Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 19 JGR Toyota and the track’s all-time winningest active driver, seven-time Pocono race winner Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 JGR Toyota.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s rookie Josh Berry and last week’s Chicago race winner, Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman will take the green flag from the third row. 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, Spire Motorsports rookie Zane Smith and Penske’s Joey Logano round out the Top-10 drivers who advanced to the final round of qualifying.

Hendrick Motorsports’ teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, who are first and second in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings, will start 12th and 11th, respectively.

Reddick was fastest in practice with a lap of 168.231 mph in the No. 45 Toyota. He was second fastest to Truex in 10 Lap Consecutive Speed.

Hamlin, Truex, Bowman, Blaney and Logano are all past-Pocono winners. Both Hamlin (2006) and Blaney (2017) earned their first career NASCAR Cup Series wins at the Tricky Triangle.