Earlier this year in Atlanta, the Fords showcased exceptional performance during qualifying and subsequently dominated the race. This weekend, they appeared to maintain their impressive speed once more.
Out of the ten cars competing for the top spot, eight were Fords. Ty Gibbs was the sole driver representing Toyota, while Kyle Larson was the lone representative for Chevrolet.
Larson experienced a slight loss of control in the last round due to hitting a bump on the frontstretch, resulting in a minor delay.
At the midpoint of the round, Almirola demonstrated the highest speed among all competitors, with a difference of more than one-tenth compared to the following car on the timing sheets.
Ryan Blaney, who had the fastest time in the initial round, came extremely close to surpassing him, but ultimately fell short by 0.014 seconds of claiming the top position.
The pole was the fourth of Almirola’s career and his first of the 2023 season. Ford drivers locked out the first three rows on the grid.
Chase Briscoe secured the third position in the qualifying round, with Joey Logano, the winner of the Spring Atlanta race, right behind him. Harrison Burton, Kevin Harvick, Ty Gibbs, Kyle Larson, Todd Gilliland, and Austin Cindric also made it to the top rankings.
Almirola mentioned, “In the initial round, I felt the car performed adequately, but it seemed that many individuals were facing difficulties.”
“I had a great experience driving my Ford Mustang. It only required a slight increase in speed, and with the help of crew chief Drew Blickensderfer, we made some adjustments. In the second round, we achieved the desired speed. I am extremely proud of Drew and the entire race team, as well as everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing.”
“We have put in a tremendous amount of effort to ensure our cars are in the right position. I am extremely proud of the dedication and hard work shown by everyone involved. A special thank you goes to Doug Yates and the entire team at Roush-Yates engine shop. When racing at high speeds, having a powerful engine is crucial. I am proud of each and every person involved. We will start the race in the lead, and my hope is that we can maintain that position and finish strong on Sunday.”
Round 1
Several drivers struggled over the bumps through Turns 1 and 2 with Alex Bowman having a wiggle that shot him up the track. He ended up being slowest of all drivers who put down a lap, qualifying 36th.
Christopher Bell came close to losing control in Turn 2, as his car’s rear-end slid out and he ended up on the apron.
Bubba Wallace came close to hitting the wall during his lap at full speed, but decided to abort before recording a time. In his post-race comments, he mentioned, “The car was extremely unstable, a sensation I’ve never experienced before. I brought it in to avoid damaging the Toyota Camry. We identified the problem, which is frustrating, but we will resolve it.”
He did not wish to disclose the source of the issue, and will start 37th on Sunday.
Blaney achieved the highest speed among all drivers, reaching 177.164mph. The drivers who advanced alongside him were Briscoe, Logano, Burton, Gibbs, Almirola, Harvick, Gilliland, Larson, and Cindric.
Brad Keselowski was in a precarious position towards the end of the session, but Larson’s entry pushed him out.
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