Denny Hamlin ran the fastest lap in NASCAR Cup Series qualifying on Saturday (March 9) at Phoenix Raceway, earning the pole for the Shriner’s Children’s 500.
Hamlin won his third career pole at Phoenix, his first pole of 2024 and his 41st pole in his career with a speed of 132.655 mph.
Hamlin will be joined by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs on the front row, who clocked a 132.227 mph lap.
Chase Elliott was quick enough for third, while Erik Jones and William Byron completed the top five.
Tyler Reddick, Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe, Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar rounded out the top 10.
Josh Berry spun and collided with the wall coming off of turn four during his hot lap, relegating him to the rear of the field in the only incident of the session.
Thirty-nine entries attempted to qualify for the race, therefore all will race tomorrow (Mar. 10).
Shriners Children’s 500 Qualifying Results
The Cup Series will duel in the desert on Sunday, Mar. 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET. FOX will provide television broadcasting.
Wyatt Watson has followed motorsports closely since 2007. He joined Frontstretch as a journalist in February 2023 after serving in the United States Navy for five years as an Electronic Technician Navigation working on submarines. Wyatt is one of Frontstretch's primary IndyCar correspondents, providing exclusive video content on site. He hosts Frontstretch's Through the Gears podcast and occasionally The Pit Straight.You can find Wyatt's written work in columns such as Friday Faceoff and 2-Headed Monsteras well as exclusive IndyCar features. Wyatt also contributes to Frontstretch's social media team, posting unique and engaging content for Frontstretch.
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