Denny Hamlin Secures Pole Position for NASCAR Cup Championship at Phoenix

Denny Hamlin will start from the pole in Sunday’s winner-take-all NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix after turning a 133.759 mph lap, giving him first choice of pit stall and track position in the finale. The pole is significant at Phoenix — recent Next Gen champions have come from the front group and front-row starters have often won the title race — but Hamlin and rivals expect speed to sort the order over 312 laps. Hamlin, a 20-season veteran with 60 career wins and a series-high six this year, still seeks his first Cup championship after multiple heartbreaking near-misses dating back to 2010. His Championship 4 opponents are William Byron (qualified second) and Kyle Larson (third) of Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe (12th), with Larson the only past series champion among them. Hamlin said execution will be paramount, noting his team has worked hard and that earlier practice clutch/brake issues did not recur in qualifying; the race airs Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock.