NASCAR Cup starting lineup: Alex Bowman wins Bristol pole

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Alex Bowman will lead the field to the green flag in Saturday night’s playoff elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway after scoring his first pole of the Cup season Friday.

Bowman led a dominant Hendrick Motorsports performance. Hendrick drivers took the top three spots. After Bowman were teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron.

MORE: Cup starting lineup

Martin Truex Jr., who is 14 points outside a transfer spot to the second round, will start fourth. Chase Briscoe, who holds one of the final transfer spots, qualified fifth.

Ty Gibbs, who holds the final transfer spot, will start 13th, the only Joe Gibbs Racing driver not to qualify in the top 10.

Justin Haley, Corey LaJoie to switch rides beginning at Kansas

Saturday night’s Cup race at Bristol will be the final race for both drivers before switching teams.

• Dustin Long,

• Dustin Long,

Denny Hamlin, who is six points behind Gibbs and Briscoe for a transfer position, will start eighth.

Brad Keselowski, 12 points from the cutline, qualified 23rd. Harrison Burton, 20 points from the cutline, will start 34th in the 37-car field.

The race will be at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday on USA Network.

Friday 5: Denny Hamlin going ‘on offense’ at Bristol to advance in NASCAR Cup playoffs

Denny Hamlin, who has won the past two Bristol Cup races, enters Saturday night’s race six points below the cutline.

• Dustin Long,

• Dustin Long,