Bubba Wallace has made a statement about his playoff hopes in qualifying for the weekend's Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, putting his #23 car on pole.
Wallace sits right on the edge of the playoff bubble, 21 points behind Chris Buescher for the last place in the post-season dance – although that would be rendered irrelevant if he can turn pole position into a win.
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Fellow points bubble-dwellers Martin Truex Jr. and Buescher also qualified in the top 10 (Truex fifth, Buescher tenth) to give themselves their best chance of challenging for a spot in the final 16.
Carson Hocevar will start at the front alongside Wallace, having earned both his personal best ever start and his team's best.
Wallace was sent a motivational message by team owner, NBA legend Michael Jordan after last weekend's disappointing showing at Daytona, telling him (among other things) 'You go out and drive your best race you’ve ever had and knowing that you have the people, knowing you have the equipment and everything else will make its own way.'
READ MORE: Jordan sends message to NASCAR star after ‘unacceptable’ Daytona race
Official NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 qualifying result
1. Bubba Wallace, #23 23XI Racing Toyota
2. Carson Hocevar, #77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
3. Chase Briscoe, #14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
4. Kyle Larson, #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
5. Martin Truex Jr., #19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
6. Tyler Reddick, #45 23XI Racing Toyota
7. Ryan Blaney, #12 Team Penske Ford
8. William Byron, #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
9. Christopher Bell, #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
10. Chris Buescher, #17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
11. Austin Cindric, #2 Team Penske Ford
12. Brad Keselowski, #6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
13. Ty Gibbs, #54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
14. Denny Hamlin, #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
15. Josh Berry, #4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
16. Austin Dillon, #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
17. Kyle Busch, #8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
18. John Hunter Nemechek, #42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
19. Corey Lajoie, #7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
20. Chase Elliott, #9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
21. Justin Haley, #51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
22. Ross Chastain, #1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
23. Joey Logano, #22 Team Penske Ford
24. Harrison Burton, #21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
25. Daniel Hemric, #31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
26. Zane Smith, #71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
27. Alex Bowman, #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
28. Erik Jones, #43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
29. Noah Gragson, #10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
30. Ryan Preece, #41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
31. Michael McDowell, #34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
32. Daniel Suarez, #99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
33. Todd Gilliland, #38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
34. Shane van Gisbergen, #16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
35. Kaz Grala, #15 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
36. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., #47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
37. Timmy Hill, #66 Power Source Ford
