AUSTIN, Texas — Tyler Reddick is on a role.
The 23XI Racing driver who won the first two NASCAR Cup Series races of the season, put his No 45 Toyota on the pole for Sunday’s DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas.
Reddick ran a lap of 97.76 seconds at 88.380 mph to earn his first pole of the season and the 12th of his career. It was also his third pole in six races at the popular road course.
If Redick wins on Sunday, he’ll be the first driver to win the first three races of a Cup Series season.
“It helps the chances certainly, starting up front is huge,” Reddick said. “We did the same thing last year. We need to maintain that and hang onto it this time around. It certainly helps, you know?
“Obviously, I think the run under green and everything is pretty even, but certainly if things kind of get off sequence and pit road gets busy I’m going to have first choice and it’s nice to have in the race. We’ll see how it gets going. Ross (Chastain), Shane (Van Gisbergen), Ryan Blaney, there’s a number of drivers that were really strong in practice today. We’ll just try to understand what all that looks like and make our best decisions on the car overnight going into tomorrow’s race.”
Reddick will share the front row Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet driver Ross Chastain.
Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver Chase Briscoe and Team Penske Ford racer Ryan Blaney will share the second row.
Chase Elliott was fifth in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
Van Gisbergen, who dominated Cup Series road races last season, qualified 13th.
Thirty-seven drivers will start Sunday’s race.