NASCAR Cup Phoenix: Logano takes pole for crucial deciding race

The Team Penske Ford driver posted an average lap speed of 134.389mph to edge his team-mate Ryan Blaney (134.373 mph) for the top spot in Sunday’s title race.

Logano's fourth pole of the 2022 season will give him the edge as he seeks to beat Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet), Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) and Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet) to the driver’s title, with the highest finisher among them in the race declared the champion.

Elliott will start fifth, Bell 17th and Chastain 25th. Kyle Larson, whose #5 Hendrick Motorsports team can still win the owner’s title, will line up fourth.

“I thought I over-cooked it a little bit in the entry to (Turn) 1, which I did the first time,” said Logano, who had lapped second-fastest in Group qualifying behind Chase Briscoe.

“I over-compensated a little bit for that and I also over-compensated in (Turn) 3, too, where I struggled the first time.

“I wish I could do it again but hey. Overall, it doesn’t matter, we’re where we need to be.

“Good place to start, better place to finish.”

As the highest qualifier among the Championship 4 drivers, Logano’s #22 Penske team will also receive the first pick of pit stalls for Sunday’s race.

“We’ve been preparing for several weeks and qualifying was something we talked about a lot and also the race,” he said.

Pole sitter Joey Logano, Team Penske, Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang

Photo by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images

Completing the top-10 lineup are Briscoe's Stewart-Haas Ford in third, Larson, Elliott, Harrison Burton, Kevin Harvick, Cole Custer, William Byron and Ty Gibbs.

Xfinity Series title chaser Gibbs - standing in for Kurt Busch at 23XI Racing, led the way among the first group with an average speed of 134.600 mph. Harvick was second-fastest (134.484 mph) and Blaney was third (134.188 mph). Also advancing to Round 2 were Elliott and Blaney.

Among those who failed to make the final round were Championship 4 contender Chastain, his Trackhouse Racing team-mate Daniel Suarez, and JGR drivers Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch - the latter in his last race meeting for the team before joining Richard Childress Racing for 2022.

“I just couldn't commit to the throttle,” Chastain said.

“Coming to the green and during the lap it was just too loose, which is great thing (for the race) but it sucks now.”

Briscoe went out early in the second group and posted the top average speed (135.252 mph), which ended up as the fastest lap of the day.

Logano ended up second-fastest (135.095 mph) and Custer was third (134.399 mph).

Also moving on to the second round of qualifying were Byron and Larson.

Among those who failed to advance were Championship 4 contender Bell, Tyler Reddick and Martin Truex Jr.

NASCAR Cup Phoenix Qualifying Result:

Cla	#	Driver		Manufacturer	Time	Gap
1	22	Joey Logano		Ford	26.788
2	12	Ryan Blaney		Ford	26.791	0.003
3	14	Chase Briscoe		Ford	26.825	0.037
4	5	Kyle Larson		Chevrolet	26.897	0.109
5	9	Chase Elliott		Chevrolet	26.979	0.191
6	21	Harrison Burton		Ford	27.011	0.223
7	4	Kevin Harvick		Ford	27.056	0.268
8	24	William Byron		Chevrolet	27.090	0.302
9	41	Cole Custer		Ford	27.125	0.337
10	23	Ty Gibbs		Toyota	27.175	0.387
View full results