Kyle Larson secured his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series pole position in thrilling fashion on Saturday afternoon, clocking a lap time of 19.718 seconds during qualifying for the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. In a nail-biting finish, Larson clinched the pole by a mere .001 seconds ahead of Bubba Wallace, who had held the fastest time until Larson’s final lap.
Larson’s pole position holds special significance as Hendrick Motorsports commemorates its 40th anniversary alongside the team’s inaugural victory. Geoff Bodine secured the team’s first win at Martinsville in the spring of 1984, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet, the same car Larson will commandeer on Sunday.
“It’s really cool to claim the pole with this 40th anniversary Hendrick Camaro,” Larson expressed to Fox Sports. “It seems like all four Hendrick cars are performing well too. Hopefully, it’s a successful day for the organization, and we can celebrate Rick and Linda [Hendrick] and everyone who has contributed to this organization over the past 40 years.”
Adding an intriguing subplot to the front row showdown on Sunday is Larson’s triumph over Wallace for the pole, just one week after the two tangled at Richmond Speedway. In that race, Larson was spun by Wallace while contending for fourth place with only two laps remaining.
Despite the incident, Larson finished third, while Wallace dropped to 13th after a challenging final pit stop. Reflecting on the incident, Wallace took responsibility and extended an apology for the contact during post-race interviews.
“Of all people, it had to be Larson,” Wallace quipped to Fox Sports. “By a thousandth.”
