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Qualifying report
NASCAR Cup Phoenix II

William Byron earns pole position for NASCAR Cup title-decider

William Byron’s quest for his first NASCAR Cup championship will begin in the best position possible.

Only two of the four drivers eligible to win the 2023 season title advanced to the final round of qualifying Saturday, but Byron came away with top overall average speed at 132.597 mph to win the pole for Sunday’s season finale.

Whoever finishes highest among Byron, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney will the championship.

The pole is the fourth this season for Byron, but first in the playoffs. It’s also the 12th of his career.

“My team is really going to like this,” said Byron, 25, who will get the first pit stall for Sunday’s race. “It’s going to be fun. All my family and friends are here, all my friends from high school. It’s going to be fun to hang out with them over tonight and just enjoy.

“This is a great opportunity. I want to be here every year. It’s really fun to be a part of and we need to take advantage of it.”

Martin Truex Jr. ended up second fastest (132.509 mph) and Kevin Harvick – making his final career start – will line up third (132.421 mph).

Larson ended up fourth and Bubba Wallace rounded out the top five.

Completing the top-10 lineup are Denny Hamlin, Erik Jones, Ross Chastain, Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick.

During his qualifying lap, Reddick hit the wall between Turns 3 and 4, doing some damage to the right-rear of his No. 45 Toyota.

 

Bell and Blaney both failed to advance to the final round of qualifying and will start Sunday’s race 13th and 15th, respectively.

Cla Driver # Manufacturer Laps Time Interval Mph
1 United StatesW. BYRONHendrick Motorsports 24 Chevrolet 1

27.150

  132.597
2 United StatesM. TRUEX JRJoe Gibbs Racing 19 Toyota 1

+0.018

27.168

0.018 132.509
3 United StatesK. HARVICKStewart-Haas Racing 4 Ford 1

+0.036

27.186

0.018 132.421
4 United StatesK. LARSONHendrick Motorsports 5 Chevrolet 1

+0.041

27.191

0.005 132.397
5 United StatesB. WALLACE23XI Racing 23 Toyota 1

+0.069

27.219

0.028 132.261
6 United StatesD. HAMLINJoe Gibbs Racing 11 Toyota 1

+0.094

27.244

0.025 132.139
7 United StatesE. JONESLegacy Motor Club 43 Chevrolet 1

+0.218

27.368

0.124 131.540
8 United StatesR. CHASTAINTrackHouse Racing 1 Chevrolet 1

+0.236

27.386

0.018 131.454
9 United StatesC. BUESCHERRFK Racing 17 Ford 1

+0.308

27.458

0.072 131.109
10 United StatesT. REDDICK23XI Racing 45 Toyota 1

+0.807

27.957

0.499 128.769

Round 1 / Group A

Harvick posted the fastest average lap speed at 133.003 mph in Group A – which also turned out to be the fastest of the day.

Title contender Byron was second quick at 132.969 mph while Wallace was third (132.694 mph).

Also advancing to the final round were title contender Larson and Jones.

Among those who failed to move on were Ty Gibbs, Todd Gilliland, Joey Logano and Chase Elliott.

Brad Keselowski did not qualify his No. 6 Ford as he returned to North Carolina for the birth of he and his wife Paige’s third child. Cole Custer qualified the car in the 31st position.

Cla Driver # Manufacturer Laps Time Interval Mph
1 United StatesK. HARVICKStewart-Haas Racing 4 Ford 1

27.067

  133.003
2 United StatesW. BYRONHendrick Motorsports 24 Chevrolet 1

+0.007

27.074

0.007 132.969
3 United StatesB. WALLACE23XI Racing 23 Toyota 1

+0.063

27.130

0.056 132.694
4 United StatesK. LARSONHendrick Motorsports 5 Chevrolet 1

+0.082

27.149

0.019 132.602
5 United StatesE. JONESLegacy Motor Club 43 Chevrolet 1

+0.084

27.151

0.002 132.592
6
T. GIBBSJoe Gibbs Racing
54 Toyota 1

+0.114

27.181

0.030 132.445
7 United StatesT. GILLILANDFront Row Motorsports 38 Ford 1

+0.138

27.205

0.024 132.329
8 United StatesJ. LOGANOTeam Penske 22 Ford 1

+0.174

27.241

0.036 132.154
9 United StatesC. ELLIOTTHendrick Motorsports 9 Chevrolet 1

+0.199

27.266

0.025 132.033
10 United StatesA. DILLONRichard Childress Racing 3 Chevrolet 1

+0.208

27.275

0.009 131.989
11
C. HOCEVARLegacy Motor Club
42 Chevrolet 1

+0.213

27.280

0.005 131.965
12 United StatesA. BOWMANHendrick Motorsports 48 Chevrolet 1

+0.228

27.295

0.015 131.892
13 United StatesR. STENHOUSE JRJTG Daugherty Racing 47 Chevrolet 1

+0.249

27.316

0.021 131.791
14 United StatesH. BURTONWood Brothers Racing 21 Ford 1

+0.354

27.421

0.105 131.286
15 United StatesA. ALMIROLAStewart-Haas Racing 10 Ford 1

+0.393

27.460

0.039 131.100
16 United StatesC. CUSTERKaulig Racing 6 Chevrolet 1

+0.515

27.582

0.122 130.520
17 United StatesJ. HALEYKaulig Racing 31 Chevrolet 1

+0.936

28.003

0.421 128.558
18 United StatesB. MCLEODLive Fast Motorsports 78 Chevrolet 1

+2.181

29.248

1.245 123.085

Round 1 / Group B

Chastain, who went out relatively early, led the way in Group B with an average lap speed of 132.812 mph.

Hamlin was second fastest at 132.724 mph while Buescher was third at 132.699 mph.

Also advancing to the final round of qualifying were Reddick and Truex.

Among those who failed to advance were both title contenders in the second group – Bell, who was seventh, and Blaney, who was eighth.

Blaney had been the fastest among the Championship 4 drivers in Friday’s lone practice session.

Cla Driver # Manufacturer Laps Time Interval Mph
1 United StatesR. CHASTAINTrackHouse Racing 1 Chevrolet 1

27.106

  132.812
2 United StatesD. HAMLINJoe Gibbs Racing 11 Toyota 1

+0.018

27.124

0.018 132.724
3 United StatesC. BUESCHERRFK Racing 17 Ford 1

+0.023

27.129

0.005 132.699
4 United StatesT. REDDICK23XI Racing 45 Toyota 1

+0.044

27.150

0.021 132.597
5 United StatesR. PREECEStewart-Haas Racing 41 Ford 1

+0.076

27.182

0.032 132.441
6 United StatesM. TRUEX JRJoe Gibbs Racing 19 Toyota 1

+0.076

27.182

0.000 132.441
7 United StatesC. BELLJoe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota 1

+0.097

27.203

0.021 132.338
8 United StatesR. BLANEYTeam Penske 12 Ford 1

+0.112

27.218

0.015 132.265
9 MexicoD. SUAREZTrackHouse Racing 99 Chevrolet 1

+0.126

27.232

0.014 132.197
10 United StatesK. BUSCHRichard Childress Racing 8 Chevrolet 1

+0.140

27.246

0.014 132.129
11 United StatesM. MCDOWELLFront Row Motorsports 34 Ford 1

+0.143

27.249

0.003 132.115
12 United StatesC. BRISCOEStewart-Haas Racing 14 Ford 1

+0.338

27.444

0.195 131.176
13 United StatesA. CINDRICTeam Penske 2 Ford 1

+0.340

27.446

0.002 131.167
14 United StatesC. LAJOIESpire Motorsports 7 Chevrolet 1

+0.451

27.557

0.111 130.638
15 United StatesR. NEWMANRick Ware Racing 51 Ford 1

+0.472

27.578

0.021 130.539
16 United StatesA. ALLMENDINGERKaulig Racing 16 Chevrolet 1

+0.493

27.599

0.021 130.440
17 United StatesT. DILLONSpire Motorsports 77 Chevrolet 1

+0.500

27.606

0.007 130.406
18 United StatesJ. YELEYRick Ware Racing 15 Ford 1

+0.556

27.662

0.056 130.142

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