5 Biggest Winners and Losers From Brickyard 400 Qualifying

Saturday’s qualifying session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway did more than determine the starting lineup for Sunday’s Brickyard 400.

It also created clear winners and losers before a single lap of the race has been completed.

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Carson Hocevar delivered another statement performance for Spire Motorsports by winning the pole, while several championship contenders were left with considerably more work to do on one of NASCAR’s toughest tracks to pass.

Here are the five biggest winners and losers from Brickyard 400 qualifying.

Winner: Carson Hocevar

There was no bigger winner than Hocevar.

The Spire Motorsports driver put together the fastest lap of qualifying, edging Daniel Suárez to earn the pole for one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races.

Starting from the front at Indianapolis is always valuable, and Hocevar now has the first opportunity to control Sunday’s race heading into Turn 1.

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Winner: Daniel Suárez

Suárez came up just short of the pole, but a front-row starting spot means a Spire Motorsports sweep.

The veteran has shown flashes of speed throughout the season, and beginning Sunday’s race alongside Hocevar puts him in position to challenge for one of the biggest victories of his Cup Series career.

Winner: Corey Heim

Making just another Cup Series appearance, Heim quietly turned one of the strongest qualifying laps of the afternoon.

The 23XI Racing development driver will roll off seventh, giving him an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience while racing near the front of the field against NASCAR’s biggest stars.

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Loser: Chase Elliott

Elliott’s qualifying run left him with plenty of work to do.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver will start 27th, meaning he’ll have to navigate traffic for much of the afternoon if he hopes to contend for the win.

Passing has historically been difficult at Indianapolis, making track position especially important.

Loser: Bubba Wallace

Wallace finds himself in a similar situation.

The 23XI Racing driver qualified 29th, leaving him buried in the pack despite entering one of NASCAR’s biggest races of the season.

With strategy and clean air often deciding races at Indianapolis, Wallace will need to make up ground quickly to avoid spending much of the afternoon mired in traffic.

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The Full Starting Order

Here is where the field will take the green flag for Sunday’s Brickyard 400:

Qualifying doesn’t hand out trophies, but it often shapes the race at Indianapolis. Hocevar, Suárez and Heim enter Sunday with the advantage of prime track position, while drivers like Elliott and Wallace will have to rely on strategy, pit execution and timely passes to climb through the field.