Ryan Blaney wins pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — Ryan Blaney feels at home at Iowa Speedway.

Blaney turned a lap of 134.191 mph in Saturday’s qualifying to win the pole for Sunday’s 350-lap NASCAR Cup Series race at the .875-mile oval.

Blaney won the inaugural Cup Series race at the track in 2024. He has two other wins at the track — an O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win in 2015 and picked up his first Truck Series race win here in 2012.

“Personally, I just enjoy coming here,” Blaney said. “I won my first trucks race here a long time ago, so all those places where you get big first wins or big first opportunities, they always have a special place in your heart and in your head when you come back to these places. Even though it’s a lot different race track than what it used to be, I just enjoy coming here.”

Blaney comes into the race third in the series point standings. He is 120 points behind series leader Denny Hamlin with four races left to determine a regular-season champion before The Chase begins. Hamlin, who dealt with brake issues all day, will start 29th.

“I don’t think we’re out of it,” Blaney said. “But we don’t really look too much of that. We just try to do the best job we can on the weekend, try to maximize your points, try to win the race. I still don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility (to win the regular-season championship). I think it is plausible that we can get there.”

Kyle Larson will start alongside Blaney on the front row. Joey Logano was third in qualifying and Brad Keselowski was fourth, although Keselowski likely will have to go to a backup car after hitting the wall in Turn 1 on his second qualifying lap.

Defending champion William Byron qualified 19th.

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