A look at the NASCAR qualifying results for the 2026 Jack Link’s 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
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The starting lineup for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is always worth noting, but its importance is a bit different compared to most tracks on the schedule. While track position still matters — particularly when it comes to avoiding early trouble — the nature of superspeedway racing tends to level the playing field once the green flag drops.
With the field expected to run tightly packed together for much of the race, drivers will have ample opportunity to move forward regardless of where they begin. That said, NASCAR qualifying results can still offer insight into early race strategy, manufacturer alignment and which drivers may look to control the draft from the outset.
The following shares the official starting grid for Sunday’s race, along with Talladega Superspeedway track details and key observations from NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying. If you are playing some fantasy today, make sure you check out our NASCAR fantasy picks for the Jack Link’s 500!
NASCAR Qualifying Results at Talladega Superspeedway
2026 Jack Link’s 500 Race Info
Date: Sunday, April 26, 2026
Start Time: 3 p.m. EST
Track: Talladega Superspeedway — Lincoln, AL
Coverage: FOX
Pole Sitter: Tyler Reddick
Defending Champion: Austin Cindric
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Jack Link’s 500 Race Breakdown
Distance: 500.08 miles
Laps: 188
Lap Length: 2.66 miles
Stages: Three (98 laps, 45 laps, 45 laps)
Surface: Asphalt
Turns: 4
Banking: Turns — 33°; Tri-Oval — 16.5°; Straights — 2°
Official Jack Link’s 500 Starting Lineup
The NASCAR qualifying results are a bit anticlimactic this week as a rain shower in Talladega on Saturday morning led to the session being cancelled.
As a result, the starting lineup has been set via NASCAR’s rule book and metrics formula which weighs a combination of stats based on the season results to date. Given this development, Tyler Reddick will be starting on the pole for the fourth time this season as he seeks his sixth outright race win. Kyle Larson will join him on the front row of the grid.
The other major impact of qualifying being washed out relates to the open cars on the entry list. With five open entries attempting to fill out four available spots in the field of 40 cars who will start Sunday’s race, one had to be left out.
Sadly, Casey Mears will have to wait for a future date to make his 500th career NASCAR Cup Series start. He was slated to drive the No. 62 for Beard Motorsports, but that is the car that ultimately will be left out of Sunday’s race.
The table below shares the complete Jack Link’s 500 starting lineup and NASCAR qualifying results for Sunday afternoon’s race.
| Pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team | Manufac. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 2 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 4 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 5 | Chase Briscoe | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 6 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing | Ford |
| 7 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 8 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 9 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 10 | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK Racing | Ford |
| 11 | Ryan Preece | 60 | RFK Racing | Ford |
| 12 | Carson Hocevar | 77 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 13 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 14 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 15 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 16 | Daniel Suarez | 7 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 17 | Riley Herbst | 35 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 18 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 19 | Todd Gilliland | 34 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 20 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 21 | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota |
| 22 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | HYAK Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 23 | John Hunter Nemechek | 42 | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota |
| 24 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 25 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 26 | Josh Berry | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 27 | Cole Custer | 41 | Haas Factory Team | Chevrolet |
| 28 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 29 | Noah Gragson | 4 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 30 | Zane Smith | 38 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 31 | Michael McDowell | 71 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 32 | Connor Zilisch | 88 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 33 | Shane van Gisbergen | 97 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 34 | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 35 | Ty Dillon | 10 | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 36 | Cody Ware | 51 | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet |
| 37 | Jesse Love | 33 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 38 | Chad Finchum | 66 | Garage 66 | Ford |
| 39 | Joey Gase | 44 | NY Racing Team | Chevrolet |
| 40 | Daniel Dye | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports | Chevrolet |
NASCAR Jack Link’s 500 Practice, Qualifying and Race Notes
- With Saturday’s qualifying session being rained out, NASCAR used its rule book to set the starting lineup. The qualifying metric is based 70% on the owner’s previous race finish and 30% on the current owner points position.
- Toyota will have four of the first five starting spots on the grid based on how the qualifying metric shaped out.
- In an effort to combat the fuel saving strategies deployed at superspeedways, NASCAR has flipped the stage lengths for the Jack Link’s 500. Stage 1 will be the longest at 98 laps while Stages 2 and 3 will be shorter 45-lap stints.
- The four open cars to make Sunday’s field are Jesse Love for Richard Childress Racing, Chad Finchum for Garage 66, Joey Gase for NY Racing Team and Daniel Dye for Live Fast Motorsports.
