NASCAR Playoffs at Martinsville: First Data 500 starting grid, lineup
By Nick Tylwalk
![MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 27: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Halloween Toyota, poses with the Virginia Lottery Pole Award after posting the fastest lap during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 27, 2018 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images) MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 27: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Halloween Toyota, poses with the Virginia Lottery Pole Award after posting the fastest lap during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 27, 2018 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/a12af6c0c587303fdce7930d102c0457d52c2804651d11ac64fa36b96cac04fd.jpg)
The members of the Big 3 are all facing very different sets of circumstances to start the first race in the Round of 8.
While the Big 3 of Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. dominated the regular season, that hasn’t been the case since the NASCAR Playoffs started. All three made it to the Round of 8, but as it gets underway with the First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway, they find themselves in very different parts of the starting grid.
Busch, the only one of the three to win in the first six playoff races, is sitting relatively pretty having won the pole. It’s his second time starting up front during the playoffs, though his first time doing that, at Dover did not lead to a victory.
Harvick dd not even make the final round of qualifying and was set to start 13th but instead will begin his day 12th. That’s because Truex failed pre-race inspection and had his qualifying time disallowed and will start 33rd instead. That could lead to a long day for the 78 team and Truex, who has never won a short track race.
Clint Bowyer, the spring Martinsville race winner, is beside Busch in Row 1, with every other playoff driver in the top 12 except Chase Elliott, who isn’t all that much further back in 19th.
Next. Could Gateway Motorsports Park be the next new NASCAR Cup Series venue?. dark
Coverage of the First Data 500 is set to start at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with the green flag scheduled for approximately 2:43 p.m.
2018 First Data 500 starting grid for Martinsville Speedway
(p) – driver still alive in the NASCAR Playoffs
- Kyle Busch (p) – No. 18 M&M’s Halloween Toyota
- Clint Bowyer (p) – No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Ford
- Denny Hamlin – No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota
- Ryan Blaney – No. 12 Menards/Moen Ford
- Aric Almirola (p) – No. 10 Smithfield Ford
- Kurt Busch (p) – No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford
- Brad Keselowski – No. 2 Thomas Built Buses Ford
- Daniel Suarez – No. 19 ARRIS Toyota
- Kyle Larson – No. 42 First Data/Clover Chevrolet
- Joey Logano (p) – No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford
- William Byron – No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet
- Kevin Harvick (p) – No. 4 Busch Beer Ford
- Chris Buescher – No. 37 Bush’s Chili Beans Chevrolet
- Alex Bowman – No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet
- AJ Allmendinger – No. 47 Kroger ClickList Chevrolet
- Ryan Newman – No. 31 E-Z-GO Chevrolet
- Jamie McMurray – No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford
- Chase Elliott (p) – No. 9 SunEnergy1 Chevrolet
- Michael McDowell – No. 34 Dockside Logistics Ford
- Erik Jones – No. 20 DeWalt Toyota
- Ross Chastain – No. 15 Ternio Chevrolet
- Ty Dillon – No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet
- Matt Kenseth – No. 6 Wyndham Rewards Ford
- Austin Dillon – No. 3 Dow Chevrolet
- Matt DiBenedetto – No. 32 Keen Parts/CorvetteParts.Net Ford
- Regan Smith – No. 95 WRL General Contractors Chevrolet
- Cole Whitt – No. 72 MOEN Chevrolet
- D.J. Kennington – No. 96 Toyota
- Joey Gase – No. 00 Donate Life Chevrolet
- Hermie Sadler – No. 7 Virginia Lottery Chevrolet
- Landon Cassill – No. 99 StarCom Fiber Chevrolet
- Martin Truex Jr. (p) – No. 78 5-hour ENERGY/Bass Prop Shops Toyota
- Jimmie Johnson – No. 48 Lowe’s for Pros Chevrolet
- Paul Menard – No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
- David Ragan – No. 38 MDS Transport Ford
- Bubba Wallace – No. 43 Pioneer Records Management Chevrolet
- JJ Yeley – No. 23 Adirondack Tree Surgeons Toyota
- Jeb Burton – No. 51 Jacob Companies Ford
- Timmy Hill – No. 66 TBD Toyota