QUALIFYING RESULTS: Ryan Blaney Wins 10th Career Pole, Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Team Surprises at Bristol

Ryan Blaney from Team Penske has won the pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Coming off strong in the practice sessions, Blaney’s car was the quickest of all the entries on the field with a 15.356-second run in the final round. This was Blaney’s 10th pole position win in the Cup Series.

Blaney’s first pole also marked a comeback for Ford back in the front after losing out to Toyota in Phoenix. Joining Blaney on the front row for tomorrow’s race will be Josh Berry, who was second fastest in the final round. NASCAR will return to concrete racing at the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway after three years of dirt racing experimentation.

Fords dominated the qualifying rounds at Bristol

It was indeed going to be a challenge for the drivers and team to adjust to the newly paved concrete race track at Bristol. However, Ford drivers looked a tad bit sharp on their laps and thus made a resounding comeback to the front row. The biggest surprise from the qualifying stage was Josh Berry, who looked sharp, making the cut for the final five from Group B and continuing his good run in the final round.

Coming in hot from last weekend’s qualifiers in Phoenix, Denny Hamlin could have piped Blaney for the pole, but he had to be content with a third place. Joining him in the second row is yet another Ford driver, Joey Logano. Taking up the third row, Chase Elliot and Chase Briscoe will start in the fifth and sixth starting positions, respectively. Half of the starting field for the race is filled with Ford drivers.

Making up the rest of the top-10 starting positions, we have, Michael McDowell, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, and Kyle Larson. The qualifying session was a nervy affair for most of the drivers, as the chemical compound on the bottom of the track caused hindrance to drivers getting a grip on their cars. Considering the unknowns of the iconic short track, the pole position on the field will play a huge factor going into tomorrow’s race.

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This result will be a huge boost for Penske’s #12 driver, as, after repeated near-miss wins, he will finally have a real shot at bagging his first win of the season.

Ryan Blaney leads the power ranking to win the Cup Series race at Bristol

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Ford’s dominance in the qualifying rounds is not a secret, but for the most part, they haven’t been able to replicate these results during race day. The only exception to Ford’s bleak performance in the main events is Ryan Blaney. The defending champion has been on a consistent streak since the start of the season. He has had three top-five finishes in his last three races, which also included the photo finish at Atlanta, where he lost by the finest margins.

Not to forget, Blaney is also leading the driver’s standings and is the only Ford representative in the top 10 best-performing drivers so far. The most important trait that Blaney possesses is that he often stays under the radar, but as far as performances go, he absolutely nails it every weekend. The only thing that now stands in his way to stake the claim for real contenders this season is a win.

Everything is perfectly set up for Blaney going into the race. All he needs to do is stay focused and consistent like he has been so far in the season, and he will find himself in the prime position to bag victory at Bristol Motor Speedway.