MOORESVILLE, N.C. — William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports, one of the four Championship 4 drivers for Sunday’s NASCAR Championship Race, won the pole on Saturday at Phoenix Raceway.
The 25-year-old Byron recorded a lap of 27.150 around the 1.0-mile Phoenix Raceway.
In addition to starting first, Byron will get the No. 1 pit stall at Phoenix, a valuable advantage in Sunday’s title-deciding race.
Click here for qualifying results.
“It lets our boys go to work, they are the best on pit road,” Byron said. “It’s a totally different race, but we are excited. We are on an even keel this weekend.
“Proud of our whole team. Definitely have to work on the race balance, but I’m excited for our guys on pit road.
“I’m going to enjoy the hell out of it. It’s going to be fun. This is a great opportunity. I want to be here every year. I want to take advantage of it.”
Of the four Championship 4 drivers, two were in and two were out in the final round of Saturday’s qualifications at Phoenix.
Both Hendrick Motorsports drivers in championship contention advanced out of Group A qualifications Saturday on the one-mile oval. Byron was second fastest at 132.969 miles per hour in the No. 24 Chevrolet and teammate Kyle Larson was fourth at 132.602 mph in the No. 5 Chevrolet.
The two Championship 4 drivers that didn’t advance out of Group B were Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing and Ryan Blaney of Team Penske.
Both will start outside of the top 10 in Sunday’s race that will determine the NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing was the fastest driver in Group A and Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing was the fastest in Group B.
In the final round of qualifications, Larson’s lap was 27.191 as the second of the 10 drivers to make an attempt.
Byron was the fourth driver in the final round to make a qualifying run and he clocked in at 27.150, assuring him of the first pit stall for Sunday’s race.
Chastain was the last driver of the 10 in the final round to make an attempt. His lap time was 0.236 over Byron’s time and was eighth fastest at 27.386.
Larson starts fourth, while other title competitors Bell (13th) and Blaney (15th) will start outside the top 10.
“I needed about another tenth-and-a-half – I don’t know,” Blaney said after qualifying. “I mean, the car didn’t feel bad, just not as much speed as everyone else. I think our race car is good for tomorrow. So, we’ll see what happens.”
In his final Cup Series race, Harvick will start in third.
The highest finishing driver in the Championship 4 at Phoenix wins the NASCAR Cup Series title.
Brad Keselowski did not qualify the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford, due to his wife, Paige, going into labor. In place of him, Cole Custer qualified 31st. According to the team, the expectation is Keselowski will return to Phoenix Sunday to drive in the race.