Ryan Blaney tops qualifying for Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix

NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 17, 2026

Blaney’s pole

Ryan Blaney won the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway, and he did it with a lap that put him just ahead of his Team Penske teammate. Blaney turned a pole-winning lap of 26.250 seconds at 137.143 mph and edged Joey Logano by 0.032 seconds for the top qualifying spot. The result gave Blaney the lead spot on the grid for a race that carries extra weight for him, because he entered the weekend fifth in the standings and 85 points behind Kyle Larson. He also topped practice earlier on Saturday. Blaney is seeking his third straight Phoenix victory, and the pole puts him first on the starting grid. The pole was the 17th of his NASCAR Cup Series career and his fifth of the 2026 season.

Penske front row

Logano qualified second, giving Team Penske the front row for Sunday’s race. Chase Briscoe qualified third, Denny Hamlin was fourth and Christopher Bell was fifth. The five drivers closest to Larson in the standings filled the top five starting spots. Larson will start deeper in the field after qualifying 22nd.

Larson’s start

Larson’s 22nd-place qualifying run stood out against the top-five results at Phoenix. He entered the weekend as the driver Blaney was chasing in the standings, while Blaney was fifth and 85 points behind. Blaney was seeking his third straight Phoenix victory, and he starts first with Logano beside him. The field will have to catch him when Sunday’s race begins.