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2018 NASCAR at Pocono Gander Outdoors 400 starting grid: Daniel Suarez inherits pole after inspections

ByNick Tylwalk|
LONG POND, PA - JULY 28: Daniel Suarez, driver of the #19 Stanley Toyota, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Gander Outdoors 400 at Pocono Raceway on July 28, 2018 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
LONG POND, PA - JULY 28: Daniel Suarez, driver of the #19 Stanley Toyota, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Gander Outdoors 400 at Pocono Raceway on July 28, 2018 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

It wasn’t the way Daniel Suarez probably wanted to win the Pocono pole, but he’ll take it as he searches for his first NASCAR Cup Series win.

It’s not too often that you turn in the third-fastest time in qualifying and end up starting a NASCAR Cup Series race from the pole. Daniel Suarez will do that Sunday, though, leading the field to the green flag at the Gander Outdoors 400 at Pocono Raceway after two drivers with faster times failed inspection.

Not just any two drivers either, but Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch, two of the Big 3 who have authored most of the story of this season. They are among 13 drivers sent to the back of the field for inspection violations, most stemming from body scan issues.

While they will have to pass a lot of cars to get there, Harvick, Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson all would have been in the first two rows, so they could still vie for the race win by the end of the day at the Tricky Triangle. So, too, could Suarez’s own Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones, who will start right behind him. Jones impressed on Saturday at Pocono, filling in for an ill Noah Gragson in the Truck Series race and darn near winning it.

Coverage of the Gander Outdoors 400 is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with the green flag scheduled for approximately 2:48 p.m.

2018 Gander Outdoors 400 starting grid for Pocono Raceway

  1. Daniel Suarez – No. 19 Stanley Toyota
  2. Denny Hamlin – No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota
  3. Erik Jones – No. 20 Reser’s Toyota
  4. Brad Keselowski – No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford
  5. Jamie McMurray – No. 1 Arctic Cat Chevrolet
  6. Chase Elliott – No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet
  7. Kurt Busch – No. 41 Haas Automation Ford
  8. Martin Truex Jr. – No. 78 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota
  9. Ryan Newman – No. 31 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Chevrolet
  10. Alex Bowman – No. 88 Axalta All-Pro Teachers Chevrolet
  11. Matt Kenseth – No. 6 Roush Performance Ford
  12. Chris Buescher – No. 37 Scott Products Chevrolet
  13. Michael McDowell – No. 34 Dockside Logistics Ford
  14. AJ Allmendinger – No. 47 Kroger ClickList Chevrolet
  15. Ty Dillon – No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet
  16. David Ragan – No. 38 A&W All American Food Ford
  17. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – No. 17 Ford
  18. Matt DiBenedetto – No. 32 Dude Wipes Ford
  19. Jeffrey Earnhardt – No. 96 Xtreme Concepts Inc. Toyota
  20. JJ Yeley – No. 23 Steakhouse Elite Toyota
  21. Corey LaJoie – No. 72 Monarch Chevrolet
  22. Ross Chastain – No. 15 TBA Chevrolet
  23. Kyle Weatherman – No. 99 StarCom Fiber Chevrolet
  24. Landon Cassill – No. 11 Lock Haven University Chevrolet
  25. Reed Sorensen – No. 7 TBD Chevrolet
  26. BJ McLeod – No. 51 Jacob Companies Ford
  27. Timmy Hill – No. 66 Lehigh Valley Phantoms Toyota
  28. Kyle Busch – No. 18 M&M’S Toyota
  29. Kevin Harvick – No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford
  30. Joey Logano – No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford
  31. Clint Bowyer – No. 14 Haas 30 Years of the VF1 Ford
  32. Kyle Larson – No. 42 DC Solar/Credit One Bank Chevrolet
  33. Ryan Blaney – No. 12 PPG Ford
  34. Aric Almirola – No. 10 Smithfield Ford
  35. Jimmie Johnson – No. 48 Lowe’s for Pros Chevrolet
  36. Paul Menard – No. 21 Menards/Libman Ford
  37. Austin Dillon – No. 3 American Ethanol E15 Chevrolet
  38. William Byron – No. 24 Axalta/Imron Chevrolet
  39. Bubba Wallace – No. 43 Mile 22 Chevrolet
  40. Kasey Kahne – No. 95 Procore Chevrolet
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