The Championship 4 have come to play in the NASCAR Cup Series finale at Phoenix Raceway.
Among that group? It’s Denny Hamlin leading the way.
Hamlin won the pole Saturday (Nov. 1) for the Championship Race, laying down a speed of 133.759 mph in qualifying. William Byron and Kyle Larson slotted in second and third, respectively, leaving title contenders 1-2-3 on the starting grid.
Hamlin, who had to wait out the Hendrick Motorsports duo on pit road, won his fifth pole of the season. It’s a big step as he goes for his first title at age 44; the 60-time Cup winner would be the second-oldest champion in history behind Bobby Allison in 1983.
The Team Penske duo of Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-five qualifiers. Carson Hocevar, Josh Berry, Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher and Joey Logano also claimed top-10 starting spots.
Normally surehanded at qualifying, Chase Briscoe placed himself last among the Championship 4, rolling off 12th in tomorrow’s race.
All 38 cars made the field for the 2025 Cup Series swansong, with AJ Allmendinger being the only car to not take time after a practice crash yesterday. The 36 full timers on the grid are joined by open competitors Casey Mears (MBM Motorsports) and JJ Yeley (NY Racing).
Cup Series Phoenix Lineup
The NASCAR Cup Series finale from Phoenix airs Sunday, Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.
Thomas is in his second year covering NASCAR at Frontstretch. A Bay Area NASCAR fan for over 15+ years, he found his love for the sport through Jeff Gordon. He helps manage the 2-Headed Monster Column.
Thomas has enjoyed several trips to Sonoma Raceway in his time and currently covers college athletics in the Bay Area, writing about the California Golden Bears and doing play by play broadcasting.