Home / Sports / Pole Position Curse Haunts NASCAR Drivers at Short Tracks
Pole Position Curse Haunts NASCAR Drivers at Short Tracks
3 Aug
Summary
- No pole-sitter has won a short track race since 2019
- Larson unaware of this surprising trend until asked about it
- Denny Hamlin last driver to win from pole, at Bristol in 2019

According to the news article, NASCAR driver Kyle Larson was surprised to learn that no pole-sitter has won a short track race since 2019. During a pre-race press conference at Iowa Speedway, Larson was asked about this trend, and he admitted he had no idea it was happening.
Larson won pole position for last year's race at the 0.875-mile short track, but ended up finishing dead last after making contact with Trackhouse Racing's Daniel Suarez. The last driver to secure a short track win from pole was Denny Hamlin, who achieved the feat during his 2019 outing at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Reflecting on the surprising statistic, Larson suggested the field is tighter in the NextGen era, with more teams having a chance to win if things go their way. He also noted that NextGen races tend to be more chaotic, which may be contributing to the lack of pole-sitter wins on short tracks.
Despite the trend, Larson came in third during Saturday's qualifying at Iowa Speedway, with Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe clinching pole for Sunday's Iowa Corn 350. Fans can catch the action on USA and HBO Max on Sunday, August 3, at 3:30 p.m. ET.