Blaney, topping the charts in practice and the first round of qualifying, confirmed his speed with an average lap speed of 124.954 mph in the final round, securing his first pole position since the 2022 season. His most recent pole came at Richmond in April 2022, marking the 10th pole of his career.
Expressing his satisfaction, Blaney remarked, “I’m proud of this whole group. Our Ford Mustang was fast all day. We were really good in Round 1 and made some adjustments for the second round. The track caught everybody by surprise, honestly. The time fall-off and the grip loss behind the wheel were incredible. It was huge.”
Reflecting on the challenging conditions, he added, “So, it was like, who can not mess up a lap and still put a decent time down? It was fun working through it. I wish I could even do it over again and make our car go better because I think there was still some more out there.”
Rookie Josh Berry delivered a noteworthy performance, securing the second position with an average speed of 124.792 mph, while Denny Hamlin claimed third place with 124.178 mph. Joey Logano and Chase Elliott completed the top five.
The top 10 starting lineup includes Chase Briscoe, Michael McDowell, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, and Kyle Larson, who faced a close call during his final round qualifying attempt, nearly spinning out.
In the initial round, Hamlin and Briscoe tied for the fastest lap in Group B (126.528 mph), with Hamlin taking the position based on points. Larson emerged as the third-fastest (126.162 mph), advancing alongside Elliott and Berry to the final round.
Berry commented on the challenges faced during practice, stating, “We lost a lot of grip really quick in practice. Luckily, we were able to get a lap fast enough to make it to the second round.”
Notable drivers who failed to advance included Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Ty Gibbs, and Tyler Reddick.
In Group A of the initial round, Blaney continued his dominance, leading with a lap of 126.787 mph. Wallace secured the second position with 125.740 mph, followed by McDowell at 124.727 mph. Logano and Byron also progressed to the final round.
However, Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Daniel Suarez, and Ross Chastain were among those unable to advance.
Despite facing challenges, drivers such as Chris Buescher and Chastain managed to recover from precarious moments during their qualifying laps, ensuring their participation in Sunday’s race, albeit starting outside the top 30.
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