Zane Smith Wins First NASCAR Cup Pole at Talladega

Zane Smith secured his first career NASCAR Cup Series pole position at Talladega Superspeedway, clocking a lap speed of 182.174 mph in the No. 38 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports. This achievement marks the third consecutive pole for Front Row Motorsports at Talladega and highlights the team's strong performance at superspeedways. Smith will start Sunday's Jack Link's 500 alongside Kyle Busch, with Joey Logano, Ryan Preece, and Austin Dillon rounding out the top five qualifiers. Notably, Smith's pole-winning lap was 0.132 seconds faster than his closest competitor, a significant margin for such a competitive track. The starting lineup also features a mix of Ford and Chevrolet drivers at the front, with Toyota's highest qualifier, Ty Gibbs, starting tenth. The race is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. ET on FOX.