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CONCORD, N.C. — Chase Briscoe won the pole Saturday for the Coca-Cola 600 and will start on the front row for NASCAR’s longest and most grueling race alongside Kyle Larson.

Briscoe, driving the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, turned a lap of 182.852 mph on the 1 1/2-mile oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway to edge out Larson, who plans to arrive at the track about an hour before the race Sunday night after completing the Indianapolis 500.

“It’s going to be great to start up front,” Briscoe said. “Adding that No. 1 pit stall, and to be able to race in clean air is huge.”

Briscoe comes in with four top-five finishes in the Cup Series this year, but has yet to win a race.

He also won the Daytona 500 pole earlier this year.

“It’s pretty wild, really,” Briscoe said. “I never thought I would get to run a Truck Series race let alone lead the way at two crown jewel events.”

William Byron, who signed a four-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports on Friday, celebrated by turning a lap of 182.642 and will start third, followed by Chris Buescher and AJ Allmendinger. Rounding out the top 10 will be John Nemechek, Ty Gibbs, Noah Gragson, Alex Bowman and defending race champion Christopher Bell.

Briscoe knows winning the Coca-Cola 600 pole does not necessarily guarantee success, particularly in such a long race.

Larson won from the pole in 2021, but prior to that the last driver to accomplish that feat was Jeff Gordon in 1998.

Bell won last year’s rain-shortened 249-lap race, and is now out to prove that was no fluke.

“Certainly, I have gotten annoyed by people calling it an asterisk win, so I would love to win this race as the Coca-Cola 600 and run the full 600 miles,” Bell said. “We should be really competitive. The last couple of years this has been one of our best intermediate tracks, as far as the 20 group goes, so I really look forward to the challenge.”

Last year fans booed loudly after waiting through a long rain delay, only to have NASCAR announce early in the morning hours that the race could not be completed because of the inability to dry the track.

“I want to be a 600-mile winner and not get booed going into victory lane,” Bell said with a laugh.

One thing to keep an eye on Sunday will be how the track reacts to the racecars in Turns 3 and 4, as drivers talked repeatedly about how particularly bumpy it is there.

“It’s definitely rough down there,” Briscoe said. “It kind of changes year to year.”

Jimmie Johnson, making his 700th career Cup Series start, will start 37th as he attempts to match Darrell Waltrip for the most Coca-Cola 600 wins with five. The part-owner at Legacy Motor Group is largely considered a longshot, despite his tremendous success at the CMS, where he’s also won the Bank of America 400 four times and All-Star race four times.

“I love endurance events and this is our marathon,” Johnson said. “As a kid watching this before I was ever back here racing, I was always so intrigued by a 600-mile race. Cars back then had a tough time making it. The drivers did as well. It is a long event. I think it is a little harder on the party animal fans in the infield to go the extra 100 miles.

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Johnson, 2-time Cup winner with Lightning, retires

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Johnson, 2-time Cup winner with Lightning, retires

Tyler Johnson has announced his retirement after playing 13 NHL seasons and winning the Stanley Cup twice with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Johnson called it a career in a lengthy message posted on social media Monday. Johnson had battled injuries in recent years and is set to turn 35 on July 29.

“As a short kid from a small town, I saw my chances of playing in the NHL as very slim,” Johnson wrote on Instagram. “But my family — my parents, Ken and Debbie, and my grandparents — believed in me when doubt clouded my mind. Their unwavering faith turned that dream into reality.”

Listed at 5-foot-8 and 191 pounds, Johnson won at just about ever level, capturing the Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup championships in 2008 with his hometown Spokane Chiefs and the Calder Cup championship with Norfolk of the American Hockey League in 2012.

The NHL brought more success, as he skated in 863 regular-season and playoff games since debuting in the league in 2013, putting up 498 points. Johnson was part of the Lightning’s core when they reached the final in 2015 and helped them hoist the Cup back to back in 2020 and ’21.

Johnson finished with Chicago, playing three seasons with the Blackhawks, and Boston, signing with the Bruins early last season following his training camp tryout.

“After a lifetime devoted to hockey, I’m ready for what’s next,” Johnson said. “This moment is bittersweet, but I leave the game with no regrets.”

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‘Gritty’ McBain secures 5-year deal from Mammoth

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'Gritty' McBain secures 5-year deal from Mammoth

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Mammoth re-signed center Jack McBain to a five-year contract worth $21.25 million on Monday.

McBain will count $4.25 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season, which was announced a little more than 24 hours since the team elected salary arbitration with the restricted free agent forward.

“He is a big, strong, physical player who competes hard on a nightly basis and brings a gritty toughness to our group,” general manager Bill Armstrong said. “Jack is an important part of the championship-caliber team we are building, and we look forward to having him back on our roster for the foreseeable future.”

McBain, 25, is coming off setting a career high with 27 points and playing all 82 games. He was one of six players to skate in every game of the organization’s first season in Salt Lake City.

“Jack’s versatility as a player, his care for his teammates and his demonstrated willingness to do whatever it takes to win, are all critical elements to our future team success,” president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said.

McBain has 82 points in 241 games with the franchise, which moved to Utah from Arizona. Since debuting in April 2022, he ranks third in the league with 832 hits.

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‘Workhorse’ York nets five-year deal from Flyers

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'Workhorse' York nets five-year deal from Flyers

Cam York and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to terms Monday on a five-year contract worth $25.75 million, with re-signing the restricted free agent defenseman completing perhaps the team’s last important piece of offseason business.

York, 25, will count $5.15 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season. That price could turn out to be a bargain with the upper limit rising from $88 million this past season to $113.5 million by 2027-28.

“Cam has been a workhorse for our team over the last few seasons,” general manager Danny Briere said. “We’re excited by his development and look forward to his continued growth and emergence as a young leader within our group.”

The Flyers are trying to shift from rebuilding to contending, and York was the final player on the roster without a contract. They acquired Trevor Zegras in a trade from Anaheim last month and signed fellow center Christian Dvorak and backup goaltender Dan Vladar on the first day of free agency.

York, the 14th pick in the 2019 draft, has skated nearly 21 minutes a game so far in his pro career, all with Philadelphia. He has 77 points in 235 games for the Flyers, who have not made the playoffs since 2020.

“I believe in this team, and I love the direction we are heading,” York said. “I couldn’t be more excited to continue this journey and build something special together.”

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