Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney took his 3rd career pole position at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday afternoon. He will start alongside Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin at the start of Sunday’s Ruoff Mortgage 500.
It’s the best qualifying of the season for both drivers. Both are eager to bounce back from unusual bad luck in the first three races of 2022.
Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Ford, has only one Top-10 this year (fourth in the Daytona 500). He just landed an unlucky 36th place last week in Las Vegas. This pole position of Ryan Blaney could allow him to get a good result in Phoenix.
“Very good run and obviously I’m happy with the speed we showed in qualifying. Proud of everyone in this #12 car group and we really needed them after our start to Vegas last week. Hopefully we can stay ahead tomorrow and try our luck.”
said Blaney, who now has seven career NASCAR Cup Series pole positions.
Towards a Denny Hamlin rebound?
Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, also hopes a good start translates into a good finish. He won two races in 2021 and made the final in Phoenix. But his start to the season is very complicated with two retirements in three races. His best result is 15th place at Auto Club Speedway and he is ranked 29th in the driver standings.
Hamlin has two wins in Phoenix (2012 and 2019). He has finished in the top five in five of the last six races at this circuit. Three times he led at least 100 laps in a race. He totaled 854 laps in the lead, which put him behind Kevin Harvick.
Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron was third fastest in qualifying, followed by Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola.
Harvick, a nine-time Phoenix winner, will start 16th. Defending winner Martin Truex Jr. will start 20th.
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