Ryan Blaney secured pole position for the Freeway Insurance 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway on October 18 with a lap time of 26.250 seconds. His run edged out teammate Joey Logano by 0.032 seconds in qualifying on October 17, putting the Team Penske Ford driver at the front of the starting grid.
Blaney’s performance set the tone for the race weekend at the 1-mile oval in Avondale, Arizona, where the Cup Series will cover 312 laps, totaling 312 miles. The race is divided into three stages: 60 laps, 125 laps, and 127 laps. Blaney’s pole lap came amid strong competition from Joe Gibbs Racing and other top teams.
Joey Logano will start alongside Blaney in second place in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Chase Briscoe’s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota will line up third, followed by Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Toyota and Christopher Bell in the No. 20 Toyota rounding out the top five starters.
Points leader Kyle Larson had a difficult qualifying session, sliding through the first turn on his fast lap and ultimately starting 22nd in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Larson’s position outside the top 20 adds pressure for the championship leader to make up ground during the race.
Other notable drivers starting in the top 10 include Tyler Reddick in sixth for 23XI Racing, Ty Gibbs seventh for Joe Gibbs Racing, Michael McDowell eighth for Spire Motorsports, Josh Berry ninth for Wood Brothers Racing, and William Byron tenth for Hendrick Motorsports.
The full starting lineup features a mix of manufacturers and teams. Chevrolet entries include Ross Chastain, Connor Zilisch, Daniel Suarez, Chase Elliott, and others, while Ford and Toyota cars represent Team Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing, 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, RFK Racing, and more.
The Freeway Insurance 500 is scheduled to start at approximately 2:05 p.m. Central Time on Sunday, October 18. The race will be broadcast nationally on USA Network, with radio coverage provided by MRN, including 102.5-FM The Game in Nashville. For fans looking for more immersive coverage, the HBO MAX app offers in-car cameras for each driver, while NASCAR.com and SiriusXM Channel 90 provide audio streaming.
The Phoenix Raceway is known for its unique one-mile tri-oval layout, which often leads to intense racing and strategic pit stops. With 312 laps to run, drivers will need to balance speed and tire management throughout the race’s three stages.
Blaney’s pole position puts him in prime position to lead the field at the green flag. His performance in qualifying suggests he and Team Penske have the setup dialed in for the track’s demands. Meanwhile, Larson will have to navigate traffic and make cautious moves to climb through the pack.
The race at Phoenix is a critical event in the NASCAR Cup Series calendar, with drivers pushing for points as the season progresses. Blaney’s pole lap time was the fastest in qualifying, setting the bar for the rest of the weekend.
The lineup and schedule for the Freeway Insurance 500 have been confirmed, with Ryan Blaney at the front and Kyle Larson starting further back than usual after his qualifying mishap. The field is ready to race on Sunday, with fans tuning in via TV, radio, and streaming platforms.
According to Yahoo Sports.
