Instacart 500 Starting Lineup and Stats for NASCAR Cup Series Race

By No Comments3 Mins Read NASCAR

The NASCAR Cup Series stays out west this week for the Instacart 500 at Phoenix Raceway. The race marks the first of two that the 1-mile track will host this season. The second won’t be until the final race of the season when the series will crown its 2021 champion.

This article contains all of the vital information necessary to get you ready for the fourth race of the NASCAR Cup Series season. Read on for the Instacart 500 starting lineup, start time, fast facts and statistics.

Credit: Getty Images

NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway

17th Instacart 500
Date: Sunday, Mar. 14, 2021
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. EST
Track: Phoenix Raceway — Avondale, AZ
Coverage: FOX
Pole Sitter: Brad Keselowski
Defending Champion: Joey Logano

Instacart 500 Race Details

Distance: 312 miles (500 kilometers)
Laps: 312
Lap Length: 1.022 miles (1.645 kilometers)
Stages: Three (Laps 1-75; Laps 76-190; Laps 191-312)
Surface: Asphalt
Turns: 4

Instacart 500 Starting Grid

See below for a breakdown of qualifying.

Starting PositionDriverCar NumberTeamManufacturer
1Cole Custer41Stewart-Haas RacingFord
2Christopher Bell20Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
3Tyler Reddick8Richard Childress RacingChevrolet
4Chase Briscoe14Stewart-Haas RacingFord
5Kyle Larson5Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
6Justin Haley31Kaulig RacingChevrolet
7Ty Dillon42Petty GMS MotorsportsChevrolet
8Alex Bowman48Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
9Chase Elliott9Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
10Joey Logano22Team PenskeFord
11Kyle Busch18Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
12Austin Dillon3Richard Childress RacingChevrolet
13Kurt Busch4523XI RacingToyota
14Erik Jones43Petty GMS MotorsportsChevrolet
15Chris Buescher17Roush Fenway Keselowski RacingFord
16Ricky Stenhouse Jr.47JTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet
17Michael McDowell34Front Row MotorsportsFord
18Brad Keselowski6Roush Fenway Keselowski RacingFord
19William Byron24Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
20Austin Cindric2Team PenskeFord
21Daniel Suarez99Trackhouse RacingChevrolet
22Bubba Wallace2323XI RacingToyota
23Todd Gilliland38Front Row MotorsportsFord
24Harrison Burton21Wood Brothers RacingFord
25Ryan Blaney12Team PenskeFord
26Corey LaJoie7Spire MotorsportsChevrolet
27Justin Allgaier77Spire MotorsportsChevrolet
28Noah Gragson16Kaulig RacingChevrolet
29J.J. Yeley15Rick Ware RacingFord
30Martin Truex Jr.19Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
31Aric Almirola10Stewart-Haas RacingFord
32Kevin Harvick4Stewart-Haas RacingFord
33Ross Chastain1Trackhouse RacingChevrolet
34Denny Hamlin11Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
35Cody Ware51Rick Ware RacingFord
36Josh Williams78Live Fast MotorsportsFord

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying Overview

Following the virus-caused interruption to racing last season, NASCAR did away with practice and qualifying runs at the majority of races. A combination of grouped draws and a performance-metrics formula were used to determine starting lineups. That same formula remains in place for the majority of races on the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, including this weekend’s Instacart 500.

So, what exactly is involved in the performance-metrics formula? Well, it draws on a number of factors including individual race performances and seaosn-long results. The following breakdown illustrates the weighted grades associated with each component of NASCAR’s metrics formula:

NASCAR Cup Series Metrics Formula Breakdown

  • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
  • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
  • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
  • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Instacart 500 Stats and NASCAR Betting Facts

  • Joey Logano won the 2020 Instacart 500 with the slowest average speed of any winner in the history of the race (94.407 mph)
  • Kevin Harvick leads all drivers with five career wins in the Instacart 500; four have come while driving for Stewart-Haas.
  • Stewart-Haas Racing leads all teams with five wins in this race.
  • Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 10 wins with the last one coming in 2017.
  • Kevin Harvick won the Instacart 500 in four out of the five years from 2014-18.
  • Aside from Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman is the only other active driver with multiple Instacart 500 wins (2010, 2017).
  • The 2010 race was extended to 600 kilometers in a reaction by track officials to new NASCAR start time rules.
  • Toyota drivers have won four of the last six races at Phoenix Raceway.
Share.

Henry’s passion for sports dates all the way back to childhood and has ultimately led to a full-fledged career as an analyst and content creator. After getting his start penning fantasy football articles, he forrayed into the betting side of the business in early 2019. His love for sports and statistics proved to be an ideal match with the dedicated research and strategy that handicapping requires. Henry currently specializes in betting analysis and picks for college football, college basketball and NASCAR. He counts the NFL, the WNBA, and NBA player props as additional leagues/markets of interest. Henry graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 2021 with a Communication Studies degree and a Psychology minor. A native of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, he and his pup, Harold, have since relocated to Laramie, Wyoming. Thanks to his professional goals within the sports betting industry, there has been a whole lot of steam on the odds for a move to Las Vegas in 2023! Most of Henry’s free time is spent on outdoor adventures, playing chess, snowboarding, or reading a good book. He is also a competitive powerlifter and aspires to qualify for the USAPL Nationals meet within the next 2-3 years.

Related Posts

Comments are closed.

Exit mobile version