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Qualifying update: William Byron has claimed pole position for Sunday’s Cup Series Championship Race. He finished with the fastest time in qualifiers and Martin Truex Jr. will join him on the front row.
Group B update: Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin, Chris Buescher, Tyler Reddick, and Martin Truex Jr. all finished with the fastest five times in Group B and have advanced to the final round of qualifying.
Group A update: Kevin Harvick, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson, and Erik Jones all finished with the fastest five times in Group A and have advanced to the final round of qualifying.
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series comes to a close this weekend at Phoenix Raceway with the Cup Series Championship Race. The green flag drops on Sunday, but qualifying is scheduled for Saturday at 4:35 p.m. ET on USA Network.
Qualifying will also air via live stream at NBC Sports Live and on the NBC Sports App. If you’re unable to watch the festivities, we’ll be providing live updates here until the starting lineup is settled. The process will take a little over an hour as the field goes through two rounds of single-car, one lap qualifying.
The full field will be attempting to secure pole position, but the four drivers competing in the final race of the playoffs are Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, and William Byron. Bell leads the entire field in poles this season with seven.
The winner of the season finale Cup Series race in Phoenix each of the past three seasons has claimed the season-ending title. Larson enters qualifying as the favorite to win Sunday’s race with +180 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. Blaney follows at +300, Byron is +380, and Bell is +500.
Here is the full starting lineup for the Cup Series Championship Race:
2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race starting linuep
| Pos. | Driver | Car # |
|---|---|---|
| Pos. | Driver | Car # |
| 1 | William Byron | 24 |
| 2 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 |
| 3 | Kevin Harvick | 4 |
| 4 | Kyle Larson | 5 |
| 5 | Bubba Wallace | 23 |
| 6 | Denny Hamlin | 11 |
| 7 | Erik Jones | 43 |
| 8 | Ross Chastain | 1 |
| 9 | Chris Buescher | 17 |
| 10 | Tyler Reddick | 45 |
| 11 | Ty Gibbs | 54 |
| 12 | Ryan Preece | 41 |
| 13 | Christopher Bell | 20 |
| 14 | Todd Gilliland | 38 |
| 15 | Ryan Blaney | 12 |
| 16 | Daniel Suarez | 99 |
| 17 | Joey Logano | 22 |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | 8 |
| 19 | Michael McDowell | 34 |
| 20 | Chase Elliott | 9 |
| 21 | Austin Dillon | 3 |
| 22 | Carson Hocevar | 42 |
| 23 | Alex Bowman | 48 |
| 24 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 |
| 25 | Harrison Burton | 21 |
| 26 | Chase Briscoe | 14 |
| 27 | Austin Cindric | 2 |
| 28 | Aric Almirola | 10 |
| 29 | Corey Lajoie | 7 |
| 30 | Ryan Newman | 51 |
| 31 | Cole Custer | 6 |
| 32 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 |
| 33 | Ty Dillon | 77 |
| 34 | JJ Yeley | 15 |
| 35 | Justin Haley | 31 |
| 36 | BJ McLeod | 78 |