Denny Hamlin scores his 42nd pole in the NASCAR Cup Series in Nashville

Denny Hamlin will lead the NASCAR Cup Series field to the green flag for the second time this season, securing the pole for the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday.

Hamlin, driving the No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing, set the fastest time on the second and final lap of time trials on the 2.14-kilometer concrete race track, posting a time of 29.859 seconds (257.66 km/h).

For Hamlin, it is the 42nd pole of his career in the NASCAR Cup Series and his second at the Nashville Superspeedway. For Joe Gibbs Racing, it is the organization’s 152nd pole at the highest level of NASCAR and the fourth of the season – three different drivers have taken it.

Josh Berry was the fastest of the five drivers who advanced to the second round based on their lap times in Group A. That means the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse will start on the front row alongside Hamlin. It will be Berry’s third top-five start in 2024, matching a career-best performance from Bristol.

Despite setting the second-fastest lap in the final qualifying round, Christopher Bell will begin the race in third place. Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski complete the top five.

Tyler Reddick will start Sunday’s race in sixth place, while William Byron, Ty Gibbs, Chris Buescher and Austin Cindric all posted times in the final round of qualifying and will complete the top five rows for Sunday’s 18th event of the 2024 season.

STARTING GRID: 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 at Nashville

Notable starters outside the top 10 in Sunday’s Ally 400 include Alex Bowman (12th), Chase Elliott (13th), Martin Truex, Jr. (17th), Ryan Blaney (18th), Ross Chastain (20th), Bubba Wallace (24th), Joey Logano (26th) and Kyle Busch (27th).

Corey Heim, a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular and third-car driver for 23XI Racing, will start Sunday’s race in 29th place despite finishing third among Group B drivers in the series’ 20-minute practice session.

Despite an earlier report from NASCAR that Justin Haley and Rick Ware Racing were not expected to achieve a qualifying time on Saturday, the No. 51 Ford Mustang took to the track and, despite dropping back, will be credited with a 33rd starting spot.

Chad Finchum, who is making his first NASCAR Cup Series start since 2021 for MBM Motorsports, was the slowest of the 38 drivers competing in Sunday’s 400-mile race, posting a time of 32.706 seconds, more than two seconds slower than qualifier Daniel Hemric, who qualified 37th.

The Ally 400 will take place on Sunday, June 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).