SPEEDWAY, Ind.-Standing on pit wall as Denny Hamlin completed his qualifying lap at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Carson Hocevar raised his arms in exultation and turned to hug Spire Motorsports teammate Daniel Suarez.
Hocevar knew at that moment that Saturday’s time trials at the historic 2.5-mile oval would not be a repeat of Michigan in June, when Hamlin, as the final qualifier, knocked Hocevar off the provisional pole at the 23-year-old’s home track.
In fact, after earning his second Busch Light Pole Award of the season and the third of his career, Hocevar will lead the field to green in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 .
“I got out of the car, and they were cheering,” Hocevar said of the crowd in the grandstands near the Yard of Bricks start/finish line. “I don’t know if they were cheering for me or because I beat Denny .
“Denny stole one from me at Michigan. That’s my home track, but this is my favorite track. I love Indy.”
With a pole-winning lap at 186.598 mph in the No. 77 Chevrolet, Hocevar edged Suarez for the top starting spot by 0.056 seconds. The session was a triumph for Spire Motorsports and owner Jeff Dickerson, an Indianapolis native.
With Michael McDowell qualifying sixth at 185.762 mph, Spire put all three of its cars within the first three rows of the grid.
“It felt really good,” Hocevar said of his blistering lap. “Michael McDowell went out early and gave me the confidence that the car was going to be able stick with him putting up a good lap.
“I felt really comfortable. I love this place. … You race differently if you’re comfortable and confident here. I’ve been confident since the first lap I’ve been here.”
Toyota driver Tyler Reddick posted the third fastest lap at 186.077 mph and will start next to Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs . Naval Base Coronado winner Corey Heim claimed the seventh starting spot, followed by Alex Bowman, AJ Allmendinger and Kyle Larson.
The top 10 featured six Chevrolets and four Toyotas. Ryan Blaney, competing against Todd Gilliland for the $1-million In-Season Challenge prize, drove the fastest Ford to a 13th-place starting spot. Gilliland qualified 36th at 182.460 mph.
Blaney will make his 400th career Cup Series start on Sunday.
Defending race winner Bubba Wallace earned the 29th grid position.
Suarez was ahead of Hocevar’s pace early in his lap but lost time through the final two corners.
“I felt like I left a little bit out there,” Suarez said. “A little mistake in corner 3, but I’m very proud of my team.”
Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service
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