GEICO 500 grid: Starting lineup for NASCAR from Talladega

TALLADEGA, AL - MAY 05: Ryan Reed, driver of the #16 Lilly Diabetes Ford, leads a pack of cars during practice for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Sparks Energy 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 5, 2017 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images) /

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will lead the field at the GEICO 500. Here’s the complete starting grid for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race from Talladega.

Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race will have an unfamiliar polesitter, as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. tops the field for the GEICO 500 from Talladega Superspeedway. It’s the first time that Stenhouse has captured a pole position since 2013.

Things get more interesting the further back you look on the starting grid. In second position is Dale Earnhardt Jr., who will be looking to rebound after his collision with Jimmie Johnson in the Toyota Owners 400. Defending Talladega race winner Brad Keselowski starts third for Team Penske following a week where they have been in the headlines for unfortunate reasons.

Keselowski’s teammate Joey Logano will roll off 12th in the GEICO 500, while current points leader Kyle Larson is starting 21st and Johnson is beginning in 30th. Those are some big names with poor qualifying results, so expect some hard charging early to make up ground at Talladega. Will they be able to catch up to Stenhouse?

Below is the complete starting grid for the 2017 GEICO 500:

1 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3 – Brad Keselowski
4 – Matt Kenseth
5 – Trevor Bayne
6 – Kevin Harvick
7 – Daniel Suarez
8 – Chase Elliott
9 – Paul Menard
10 – Kyle Busch
11 – Denny Hamlin
12 – Joey Logano
13 – Martin Truex Jr.
14 – Erik Jones
15 – Kurt Busch
16 – Ryan Blaney
17 – Clint Bowyer
18 – Austin Dillon
19 – Kasey Kahne
20 – Ryan Newman
21 – Kyle Larson
22 – Aric Almirola
23 – Jamie McMurray
24 – Michael McDowell
25 – Landon Cassill
26 – Matt DiBenedetto
27 – AJ Allmendinger
28 – Ty Dillon
29 – David Ragan
30 – Jimmie Johnson
31 – Danica Patrick
32 – Brendan Gaughan
33 – Reed Sorsenson
34 – Chris Buescher
35 – Elliott Sadler
36 – Corey LaJoie
37 – Gray Gaulding
38 – Cole Whitt
39 – Joey Gase
40 – Jeffrey Earnhardt

Next: Rutledge Wood talks NASCAR and the Kentucky Derby

The 2017 GEICO 500 takes place Sunday, May 7 at 2 p.m. ET. The race will be nationally televised on FOX. For the latest news throughout race weekend, be sure that you’re following the NASCAR category at FanSided here.

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