Ryan Blaney has achieved pole position at Iowa with a time of 23.474 seconds in his Ford from Team Penske, surpassing Kyle Larson’s time from Hendrick Motorsports by just 0.018 seconds. This event marks the 15th pole of Blaney’s career and the first he has achieved in Iowa, where he already won the inaugural NASCAR Cup race in 2024.
Commenting on his performance, Blaney expressed his satisfaction with the speed of his vehicle during practice. He indicated that after an unexpected first attempt, he adjusted his trajectory to improve the time on his second lap. Additionally, he wore a special helmet in tribute to Kyle Busch, hoping it would carry him to Victory.
His teammate, Joey Logano, will start the race from third position. Meanwhile, Brad Keselowski, who qualified fourth, suffered an accident during his second lap and will have to start from the back of the grid. Drivers Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, Austin Dillon, Connor Zilisch, Ross Chastain, and Erik Jones will complete the top ten positions.
Zilisch, a rookie driver, has made a precedent in his career in the Cup, achieving his first qualification within the top ten at an oval.
Diving into the championship, Austin Cindric, one of the drivers fighting for a playoff spot, will start in twelfth position, while the defending title holder in Iowa, William Byron, will start from nineteenth. JGR teammates, Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin, have had brake issues during practice and find themselves in unfavorable grid positions, starting in twentieth and twenty-ninth respectively.
Ryan Preece faces the race in a complicated situation, positioned as the first driver below the cutoff line, with a qualifying time of 35th position after a tough day with his Ford.
During the qualifying session, moments of tension were experienced, with Larson setting an initial benchmark. However, Blaney managed to surpass him on his second lap. Chase Elliott, who suffered damage during practice, will start in 32nd position, far from his best performance.
The grid for the race in Iowa is as follows:
| Position | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed (mph) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 23.474 | 134.191 |
| 2 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.492 | 134.088 |
| 3 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 23.492 | 134.088 |
| 4 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 23.503 | 134.025 |
| 5 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 23.523 | 133.911 |
| 6 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 23.545 | 133.786 |
| 7 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 23.545 | 133.786 |
| 8 | Connor Zilisch | TrackHouse Racing | Chevrolet | 23.550 | 133.758 |
| 9 | Ross Chastain | TrackHouse Racing | Chevrolet | 23.566 | 133.667 |
| 10 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 23.595 | 133.503 |
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_f38c549c4d6a2779f219ccd3cae6cf01d2c49887