Maggie Mackenzie Sat, October 24, 2026 at 8:20 PM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two drivers who aren't always in the thick of it in the Cup Series delivered some of Saturday's biggest performances, out qualifying several of NASCAR's biggest names.
Chase Briscoe won the pole at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, but the two drivers starting directly behind him might be the bigger story.
Austin Hill and Connor Zilisch turned heads during NASCAR Cup Series qualifying on Oct. 24, securing second and third on the starting grid for Sunday's race. Neither is a full-time Cup Series driver, yet both managed to outrun some of the sport's most established names.
Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney were among the drivers who couldn't match their qualifying performances.
For Hill and Zilisch, it was an impressive afternoon at one of NASCAR's most unpredictable tracks, and a reminder that a driver's Cup Series experience doesn't always determine where they'll line up on race day.
Hill came within striking distance of the pole, recording a lap of 185.949 mph in the No. 33 Chevrolet. That was just 0.032 seconds slower than Briscoe's pole-winning effort of 186.065 mph.
Driving the No. 88 Chevrolet, the young NASCAR prospect posted a speed of 185.877 mph, good enough for third on the starting grid.
The results were particularly notable considering the competition.
Hamlin qualified ninth, Larson rounded out the top 10, and Chase Elliott could manage only 18th. Blaney, meanwhile, will start 27th after a disappointing session in his No. 12 Ford.
Hill and Zilisch weren't simply competitive against the Cup Series regulars. They beat the overwhelming majority of them.
Their performances also put two Chevrolets directly behind Briscoe's Toyota, with Shane van Gisbergen qualifying fourth and Chris Buescher completing the top five.
Of course, qualifying well at Talladega is only part of the equation.
The 2.66-mile superspeedway is famous for its tight drafting packs, constant position changes and multi-car accidents that can turn a promising afternoon into a disastrous one in seconds.
A front-row starting position offers no guarantee of a strong finish, just as qualifying outside the top 20 doesn't eliminate a driver's chances of winning.
That's what makes Hill and Zilisch's performances intriguing.
Hill has built a reputation as a formidable superspeedway racer, particularly in NASCAR's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, where his drafting-track success has been a defining part of his career.
Zilisch, meanwhile, represents NASCAR's next generation. His rapid rise through the national series has made him one of the sport's most closely watched young talents.
Saturday gave both drivers another opportunity to demonstrate their speed against Cup Series competition.
And although Briscoe will officially lead the field to green, Hill and Zilisch have already accomplished something noteworthy before Sunday's race even begins.
They've earned starting positions ahead of multiple Cup Series champions and established winners.
Now comes the considerably tougher assignment: staying ahead of them when it counts.
Pos. Driver Car No. 1 Chase Briscoe 19 2 Austin Hill 33 3 Connor Zilisch 88 4 Shane van Gisbergen 97 5 Chris Buescher 17 6 Christopher Bell 20 7 Alex Bowman 48 8 Ty Gibbs 54 9 Denny Hamlin 11 10 Kyle Larson 5 11 Cody Ware 51 12 Austin Dillon 3 13 Daniel Suárez 7 14 Riley Herbst 35 15 Ross Chastain 1 16 Joey Logano 22 17 William Byron 24 18 Chase Elliott 9 19 Ryan Preece 60 20 Cole Custer 41 21 Josh Berry 21 22 Brad Keselowski 6 23 Michael McDowell 71 24 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 47 25 Bubba Wallace 23 26 Carson Hocevar 77 27 Ryan Blaney 12 28 Austin Cindric 2 29 Erik Jones 43 30 Ty Dillon 10 31 Zane Smith 38 32 John Hunter Nemechek 42 33 Tyler Reddick 45 34 Casey Mears 62 35 Todd Gilliland 34 36 Daniel Dye 78 37 AJ Allmendinger 16 38 Joey Gase 44 39 Noah Gragson 4 40 Gray Gaulding 66
Source: Sports
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