Brad Keselowski to start from Cup Series pole position at Watkins Glen

Brad Keselowski has won the pole position for Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the NASCAR Cup Series’ first race back after a two-week break. He leads a 1-2-3 sweep of Team Penske drivers in the top starting spots.

Keselowski’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford will take the green flag first at Watkins Glen International, which is back on the schedule after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the series’ planned visit there in 2020. Keselowski is seeking the first road-course win of his Cup Series career.

LINEUPS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series | Camping World Truck Series

Teammate Joey Logano is set to line up second in the No. 22 Ford, and Ryan Blaney is scheduled to start third in another Penske entry, the No. 12 Mustang.

Justin Allgaier, a three-time winner on road courses in the Xfinity Series, won the pole for Saturday’s Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 (4 p.m. ET, CNBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) in the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Austin Hill, the Camping World Truck Series’ most recent winner, is on the pole for Saturday’s United Rentals 176 (12:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) in the No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota.

RELATED: Watkins Glen schedule | 2021 Cup Series standings

As NASCAR adapted to COVID-19 protocols last season, practice and qualifying were eliminated at a majority of national-series events to limit at-track time, exposure and to cut race weekend costs. To determine starting lineups, competition officials used grouped draws, added inversions for weekend doubleheaders, and eventually adopted a performance-metrics formula. That metrics format remains in place this season, drawing on performance from both individual races and season-long results.

NASCAR’s metrics formula for 2021 weighs:

• 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race

• 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race

• 35 percent: Team owner points ranking

• 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race

See the full lineup for Sunday’s Cup Series race below.

Practice and qualifying are tentatively scheduled for eight Cup Series races this year. Two races remain with Busch Pole Qualifying on the schedule — Aug. 15 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway‘s road course and the season-ending championship race Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway.