The Supercars Championship leader had finished third-quickest in Friday’s Practice session in the #33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet but could only manage 12th in his group of qualifying.

Cam Waters was 16th-fastest in the other qualifying group and hence is set to start 31st in the #60 RFK Racing Ford, with pole position taken by Team Penske’s Joey Logano (#22 Ford).

Like the Xfinity Series, Cup Series Qualifying was comprised of Round 1 split into two groups with 15 minutes of track time each, followed by a 10-minute Final Round for the top 10.

In Group A, Tyler Reddick (#45 23XI Racing Toyota) laid down an early marker of 1:13.959s and that remained the quickest lap after everyone had been through for one run.

The rest of the top five was Michael McDowell (#34 Front Row Motorsports Ford), Todd Gilliland (#38 FRR Ford), Zane Smith (#71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet), and Chris Buescher (#17 RFK Racing Ford).

Brown was one position and 0.038s outside the cut on a 1:14.240s having been late to start the session with a throttle issue for the #33 Chevrolet.

William Byron (#24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) moved to the top with a 1:13.551s before he was knocked off by Reddick on a 1:13.515s and Logano (#22 Ford) on a 1:13.530s as the chequered flag came out.

RCR was reportedly optimistic it had fixed the throttle issue for Brown’s second run but, in any case, he could only set a 1:14.045s which left him 12th once the Group A action was done.

Through to the Final Round were Reddick, Logano, Byron, Ryan Blaney (#12 Penske Ford), and Ty Gibbs (#54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota).

When Group B rolled out, AJ Allmendinger put the #16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet top with a 1:13.488s before Daniel Suarez clocked a 1:13.475s on his second lap in the #99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.

With the first runs done, they were still top two and Ross Chastain was fourth in another Trackhouse Chevrolet, after Trackhouse-contracted Kaulig driver Shane van Gisbergen stormed to the Xfinity Series pole position.

Waters sat 15th on a 1:14.367s in the ‘Stage 60’ Ford, third-quickest of the five Mustang pilots in the group.

Suarez sat things out when the rest proceeded to their respective second runs, with Alex Bowman (#48 Chevrolet) moving up from third to first on a 1:13.345s and Hendrick team-mate Kyle Larson (#5 Chevrolet) going second on a 1:13.449s.

Chastain (#1 Chevrolet) climbed from the danger zone to second on a 1:13.421s with the chequered flag out, before Chase Elliott restored a Hendrick one-two with a 1:13.345s in the #9 Chevrolet.

That effort bumped Allmendinger to sixth and left Suarez on the bubble, but the latter survived in fifth spot.

Waters set a 1:14.366s on his final lap to be 16th-fastest in Group B and, given it was the faster of the two groups, is officially scored 31st all-told.

In the Final Round, Logano was quickest after the opening runs on a 1:13.273s.

He could only manage a 1:13.475s on the only hot lap of his second run but it mattered not considering no one else could go any quicker than a 1:13.356s.

That effort belonged to Reddick, meaning he will start on the other side of the front row, ahead of Blaney, Elliott, Larson, Byron, Suarez, Bowman, Chastain, and Gibbs.

The Xfinity Race starts today at 20:00 ET/10:00 AEST, with the Cup Race tomorrow at 15:30 ET/05:30 AEST.

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