Ryan Blaney will lead the field to green in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race after earning the pole during qualifying Saturday at EchoPark Speedway.
The Team Penske driver laid down the fastest lap of the session, while teammate Joey Logano locked up the outside of the front row to complete a Penske sweep. It marks another strong qualifying performance for the organization as both former Cup Series champions put themselves in prime position for the opening laps of the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart.
Kyle Larson qualified third for Hendrick Motorsports, giving Chevrolet its highest-starting driver after Team Penske locked out the front row. Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon qualified fourth in one of his strongest single-lap performances of the season. Daniel Suárez rounded out the top five, giving Spire Motorsports another solid starting spot on a drafting-style track where track position can prove crucial.
Three of Hendrick Motorsports’ quartet all sit inside the top 10, led by Larson in third. Alex Bowman qualified sixth, Chase Elliott will start seventh in his home race. The outlier being William Byron who will start from the 26th spot.
Team Penske continued to show its speed throughout the session beyond the front row. Austin Cindric qualified eighth, putting all three Penske Fords inside the top eight. Ross Chastain will start ninth for Trackhouse Racing, while RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski completed the top 10.
Top 10 Starting Lineup for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Race
- Ryan Blaney
- Joey Logano
- Kyle Larson
- Austin Dillon
- Daniel Suárez
- Alex Bowman
- Chase Elliott
- Austin Cindric
- Ross Chastain
- Brad Keselowski
The remainder of the top 20 includes Erik Jones in 11th, Shane van Gisbergen in 12th, Chris Buescher in 13th, Carson Hocevar in 14th, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 15th, Ty Dillon in 16th, Josh Berry in 17th, Michael McDowell in 18th, Ryan Preece in 19th and Chase Briscoe in 20th.
And, in a surprise turn of events, points leader Denny Hamlin will roll off 28th.
With the starting lineup now set, Blaney will look to convert his pole-winning speed into a victory Sunday as Team Penske chases another superspeedway triumph. The Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart is scheduled for Sunday night at EchoPark Speedway, where drafting strategy, late-race cautions and multi-car packs have historically created some of the most unpredictable finishes on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
Ryan Blaney Wins Pole as Team Penske Sweeps Atlanta Front Row