NASCAR lineup at Kansas: Starting order, pole for Thursday's race without qualifying

The starting lineup and pole for Thursday night's NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway were set by the procedure that has determined the starting order for almost all Cup Series races in 2020 that have run without prior qualifying sessions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The starting grid for Thursday night's race at Kansas, scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET and broadcast live on NBCSN, features Fords in the first four starting positions as a result of the procedure that utilizes a combination of points standings and a random draw to set the lineup.

MORE: Updated 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule

As for pit stall selection for the NASCAR Cup Series races being run without qualifying, it is ordered based on finishing positions from the series' previous points race, followed by new entries in order of points. That means Austin Dillon, the surprise winner last weekend at Texas, will have the first stall at Kansas. 

Below is the starting lineup for Thursday night's NASCAR race at Kansas and how it was set.

Who won the pole for the NASCAR race at Kansas?

The pole position for Thursday night's NASCAR race at Kansas belongs to Kevin Harvick, who was given the No. 1 position Wednesday in a random draw. Harvick is the NASCAR Cup Series points leader in both driver standings and owner standings, and he is tied with Denny Hamlin for the most wins in the series this season with four apiece. 

Another multiple-time winner this season, Joey Logano, will join Harvick on the front row to start Thursday night's race. Their Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske teammates Aric Almirola and Ryan Blaney will start third and fourth, respectively.

Below is the protocol for how the Cup Series field was set at Kansas:

Positions 1-12: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
Positions 13-24: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
Positions 25-36: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
Positions 37-40: Open teams in order of owners points

NASCAR starting lineup at Kansas

The same protocol that set the lineup for Thursday night's Kansas race will be used for all NASCAR Cup Series races for the rest of the 2020 regular season.

"The current format has worked well in addressing several challenges during our return to racing," NASCAR senior vice president of competition Scott Miller said. "Most importantly, we have seen competitive racing week-to-week. NASCAR will adjust the starting lineup draw procedure for the playoff races and will announce the new process at a later date.”

The starting lineup for Thursday night's NASCAR race at Kansas was drawn Wednesday. Below are the results: