NASCAR Cup Phoenix starting lineup: Ryan Blaney on pole, Kyle Larson struggles

Ryan Blaney claimed pole position for the NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix Raceway, setting a blistering lap time of 26.250 seconds. Joey Logano followed closely in second place, just 0.032 seconds behind. Blaney's teammate, Chase Briscoe, secured the third starting spot after winning consecutive races in Las Vegas and Charlotte. Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell rounded out the top five. The remainder of the top ten included Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, Michael McDowell, Josh Berry, and William Byron.

Notably, championship leader Kyle Larson, who entered the race with a 49-point lead, will start the race in 22nd place. This marks a significant drop from his usual qualifying performance, as the winner of the Phoenix race has started in the top 15 in the last 18 races. Kyle Larson's struggles at Phoenix have been well-documented, as the last driver to start outside the top 20 was Ryan Newman in 2017.

Blaney expressed pride in his qualifying performance, stating that "the car did everything you need to do and stuck when it needed to." He also acknowledged the team's efforts in improving qualifying speed for future races. Looking ahead to Sunday's race, Blaney noted that the track conditions would change significantly due to full sun and higher temperatures, suggesting that adjustments would be necessary for the upcoming race.