Keselowski Is An All-Star Polesitter

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Brad Keselowski hasn’t had much to smile about in 2025, entering All-Star Race weekend ranked 33rd in NASCAR Cup Series points.

The 2012 series champion managed a big smile on Friday, though, after his No. 6 RFK Racing Ford blistered North Wilkesboro’s five-eighths-mile oval in NASCAR All-Star Race qualifying.

Keselowski finished the unique qualifying session — with the same format as was used in the Open – in a scintillating one minute, 27.362 seconds to score his first career All-Star Race pole. Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota finished 0.89 seconds in arrears of Keselowski’s machine.

“It’s pretty cool to win the pole,” Keselowski said. “I’ve never won an All-Star Race pole, so this is something new for my career. It was a total team effort. The pit crew, (Crew Chief) Jeremy Bullins, everyone gave me a rock-star car. I’m so happy for everybody on this team.”

Keselowski will also start Saturday’s first of two All-Star Heat Races from the pole, with Bell leading Heat No. 2 to green.

Alex Bowman, Chase Briscoe and William Byron completed the top five in qualifying.

Three hours after Shane van Gisbergen saw North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time, he qualified on the pole for his debut race at the iconic track. The rookie from New Zealand will lead the field to green for Sunday’s All-Star Open, after his No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet posted the quickest time in the three-lap, four-tire pit stop format to set the grid.

Van Gisbergen’s 1:28.684-second run over three laps and a four-tire pit stop beat Carson Hocevar by 0.2 seconds.

“I think we got all the things right,” van Gisbergen said. “Thanks to WeatherTech and the Trackhouse pit crew. I’ve never started up front on an oval, so I’ll have to figure that one out.”