Ryan Blaney clinched the pole position for Sunday’s NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The reigning Cup Series champion completed the 0.533-mile concrete track in Bristol, Tennessee, in 15.356 seconds on Saturday.
He narrowly beat out Josh Berry for the top spot and will lead the pack to the start line in the Food City 500. This marked Blaney’s 10th career pole in 11 seasons, and his first since the spring race at Richmond Raceway in 2022.
Blaney shared his thoughts on the unique challenges of the track, stating, “The track kind of caught everybody by surprise, honestly. The time fell off, and the grip loss behind the wheel was incredible, huge. It was who cannot mess up a lap and still put a decent time down. It was fun. It was fun working through it.
I wish I could even do it over again to try to make our car even better because I think there was still some more out there.”
NASCAR restored Bristol to its traditional setup for the first time in four years for the spring race, removing the red clay added in previous years. Reviews were mixed, with concerns over sub-par racing overshadowing the novelty of dirt racing.
To enhance racing and provide multiple competitive lanes, a resin-based traction compound was applied through the turns near the inside portion of the oval. However, opinions on its effectiveness varied among drivers. Denny Hamlin quipped, “I think someone pee-peed in the Goodyear rubber mixture, I’m not sure. It’s different. It’s kind of enjoyable ’cause everyone’s so out in left field right now.”
Blaney capitalized on the challenging conditions, piloting his No. 12 Ford for Team Penske to secure the pole. Berry followed closely in second place, driving another Ford for Stewart Haas Racing.
Hamlin claimed the third spot in a Toyota, with Joey Logano and Chase Elliott rounding out the top five. Chase Briscoe, Michael McDowell, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, and Kyle Larson completed the top 10 in the final qualifying session.
With the “Next Gen” car facing difficulties on short tracks since its debut in 2022, the nature of Sunday’s race remains uncertain. However, history suggests that starting from the pole position at Bristol offers a significant advantage, with 27 out of 123 Cup races at the venue winning from the pole position, making it the most successful starting position on the grid.
