Ryan Blaney will start Sunday’s Food City 500 from pole position after setting the fastest time during NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Saturday.
The No. 12 Team Penske driver recorded a 15.356-second lap (124.964 mph) at the .533-mile track after also leading practice earlier in the day. While Blaney is the current Cup Series points leader, he has yet to win a race this season.
“First pole in a while. I can’t remember the last time I qualified first — 2022 — but it was just a fun day overall. It was a pretty challenging day, I think, for everybody just kind of figuring out what the track was doing, what this tire was doing and where you car needs to get better,” Blaney said.
Stewart-Haas Racing driver Josh Berry was second with a 15.376-second lap (124.792 mph) in the No. 4 Ford. The performance marked his best qualifying effort since commencing his rookie Cup Series season at the Daytona 500 in February.Â
Denny Hamlin wheeled his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to third on the timesheets (15.452 seconds, 124.178 mph). Team Penske’s Joey Logano will start alongside Hamlin on the second row after qualifying fourth in his No. 22 Ford (15.506 seconds, 123.746 mph).Â
Chase Elliott qualified fifth in his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.Â
Chase Briscoe, Michael McDowell, William Byron, Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson completed the top 10.Â