Ryan Blaney Secures NASCAR Cup Series Pole Position

Ryan Blaney has secured the pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Driving the No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Blaney recorded a lap time of 15.101 seconds, which equates to an average speed of 127.064 mph.

The result marks the 13th pole position of Blaney’s NASCAR Cup Series career and his first of the 2026 season. He edged out Tyler Reddick by a margin of 0.023 seconds to claim the top starting spot for the race scheduled for April 12, 2026.

Qualifying Performance and Recovery

Blaney’s path to the pole was not seamless. During the first lap of his qualifying run, he struggled with a loose condition, a challenge that appeared to affect many drivers during the session. Blaney described the experience as getting free while landing into Turn 1.

The driver was able to refocus for his second lap, noting that the rear tires performed better in Turns 1 and 2, and that Turn 3 and 4 provided a strong corner. This recovery allowed him to surpass Reddick and secure the prime starting position.

Starting Grid and Field Results

The qualifying session at the 0.533-mile high-banked short track took place under overcast weather conditions, which contributed to significant slipping and sliding on the track surface.

Following Blaney and Reddick on the front row, the starting lineup includes several notable placements:

• Chase Briscoe qualified third in the No. 19 Lance Snacks Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.
• Riley Herbst secured fourth place, marking the best qualifying effort of his NASCAR Cup Series career. Herbst held the top spot for a large portion of the session.
• Ty Gibbs and Ross Chastain will start third row in fifth and sixth positions respectively.
• Chris Buescher and Kyle Larson will start fourth row.

Practice and Technical Issues

During the practice sessions preceding qualifying, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Posted the fastest lap of Group 1 with a time of 15.40 seconds. Austin Cindric led Group 2 with a lap of 15.45 seconds.

The event also saw technical setbacks for several teams. NASCAR ejected car chiefs and an engineer from five different entries after they failed inspection twice before the qualifying session. The affected cars included:

• Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Chevy)
• Ross Chastain (No. 1 Trackhouse Chevy)
• Chad Finchum (No. 66 Garage 66 Ford)
• Cole Custer (No. 41 Haas Factory Chevy)
• Michael McDowell (No. 71 Spire Chevy)

Driver Context and Outlook

Blaney enters the Food City 500 having won one race so far this season, while Tyler Reddick has recorded four wins. Despite the difference in win totals, Blaney’s pole position provides a mental advantage heading into the race.

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champion continues his tenure with Team Penske. According to career data, Blaney’s most recent win prior to the Bristol event was the 2026 Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix.

The Food City 500 is scheduled to take place on April 12, 2026, with coverage provided via FS1, HBO Max, PRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.