Ryan Blaney captured his first NASCAR Cup Series pole of 2024 at Bristol Motor Speedway with a speed of 124.954 mph. This was his first pole at Bristol and his 10th career pole in NASCAR’s top series. Blaney also captured his first pole since 2022 at Richmond Raceway.
Blaney outpaced rookie for Stewart-Haas Racing Josh Berry who clocked at lap of 124.792 mph. This is Berry’s career best start in the Cup Series.
Denny Hamlin qualified third, fastest of the Toyota drivers, and Blaney’s Team Penske teammate Joey Logano qualified fourth. Chase Elliott, the fastest of the Chevrolets, completed the top five.
Chase Briscoe, Michael McDowell, William Byron, Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson rounded out the top 10.
Drivers had to overcome loose conditions with the chemical compound on the bottom of the track wearing out over the course of the session. Notable drivers to have slow times from getting loose and out of the groove were Ross Chastain, Daniel Suarez and Carson Hocevar.
Only the 36 chartered entries qualified for the race. Therefore, all 36 will race on Sunday (March 17).
Bristol Cup Qualifying Results
The Cup Series will kick off the first of two races at Bristol on Sunday, March 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Television coverage is provided by FOX.
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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