Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find NBCSN | Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App

Monday, November 11
1 p.m., Glory Road: IROC (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
1:30 p.m., Glory Road: Controversial Finishes (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2 p.m., NASCAR 120: ISM Raceway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 p.m., NASCAR America: Monday, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
7 p.m., Beyond the Wheel (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
8 p.m., NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App

Tuesday, November 12
5 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

Wednesday, November 13
12 a.m., Dale Jr. Download (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 p.m., NASCAR America: Motormouths, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

Thursday, November 14
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series West finale: ISM Raceway (tape delay), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Friday, November 15
2 p.m., Glory Road: The Winston Million (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series qualifying, FS1/FOX Sports App
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NGOTS, FS1/FOX Sports App
8 p.m., NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200, FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
3:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice
6:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200

Saturday, November 16
12 a.m., NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200, FS2/FOX Sports App
2:30 a.m., NASCAR Presents: Davey Lives On (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
3 a.m., NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
6 a.m., NASCAR Decades: The 1990s (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6:30 a.m., NASCAR Decades: The 1990s (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7:30 a.m., Dale Jr. Download (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
9:30 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
11:30 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
1:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Ford EcoBoost 300, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Post Race, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7 p.m., Wood Brothers (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN
2 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying
3 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Ford EcoBoost 300

Sunday, November 17
11:30 a.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FS1/FOX Sports App
1:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC/NBC Sports App
2 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBC/NBC Sports App
3 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead, NBC/NBC Sports App
3 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Hot Pass, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Post Race, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN
2 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400

Posted on by Staff Report

Chase Elliott’s last-ditch hopes for keeping his playoffs alive ended in a Lap 166 crash that left his Hendrick Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet with severe damage.

RELATED: Race results | Championship 4 set

Elliott’s car spun sharply at the entrance to Turn 1 and backed into the outside retaining wall. After attempting to drive away, Elliott stopped and exited the No. 9 Chevy unhurt. After being cleared at the infield care center, Elliott said he thought a tire went down to cause the crash.

“Yeah, it’s just a continuation of our first two weeks, unfortunately, ” Elliott said. “I feel like we were in a good position to run solid. I’m not sure why we had a tire go down. I think that’s what happened, at least; it seemed like it. It’s unfortunate. Like I said, these last three weeks have been pretty rough. So, hopefully Homestead goes better and we can get prepared good for next season and get a good notebook for next year.”

Elliott was shown with 165 laps complete of a scheduled 312 in Sunday’s Bluegreen Vacations 500, the last race in the Monster Energy Series playoffs’ Round of 8. He entered the next-to-last race of the season ranked eighth. He ends the Round of 8 with finishes of 36th, 32nd and 39th.

Posted on by Staff Report

Joey Logano lunged to the lead at the start of Stage 2 and stormed to his 11th stage win of the Monster Energy Series season Sunday at ISM Raceway near Phoenix.

RELATED: Stage 2 results | Live standings

Logano’s Team Penske No. 22 Ford led 68 laps and was ahead by .940 seconds when the green-checkered flag flew at Lap 150.

Stage 1 winner Denny Hamlin took second place after a fierce battle with Chase Elliott in Stage 2, fighting through a late-developing vibration on the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota. Elliott wound up finishing third as he faced a must-win situation to keep the Hendrick Motorsports No. 9 team’s playoff hopes alive.

Eight drivers remain alive in the playoff hunt, and they made a clean sweep of the top eight at the second stage break. The field will be trimmed to the final four by the checkered flag. That Championship 4 group will compete for the title in next Sunday’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

A total of 312 laps make up the scheduled distance in Sunday’s Round of 8 finale.

Driver Team Pts
1 Joey Logano (P) Team Penske 10
2 Denny Hamlin (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 9
3 Chase Elliott (P) Hendrick Motorsports 8
4 Kyle Busch (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 7
5 Ryan Blaney (P) Team Penske 6
6 Martin Truex Jr. (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 5
7 Kevin Harvick (P) Stewart-Haas Racing 4
8 Kyle Larson (P) Chip Ganassi Racing 3
9 Brad Keselowski Team Penske 2
10 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing 1

STAGE 1

Denny Hamlin emerged with a Stage 1 win after a late-stage restart Sunday at ISM Raceway near Phoenix.

Hamlin led just the final three of the 75 laps in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota, sealing his sixth stage win of the season. Chase Elliott jumped up to finish second in the stage in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet.

Kyle Busch won the Busch Pole Award in Saturday’s qualifying and kept up his speed early in the Bluegreen Vacations 500 by leading the opening 69 laps. Busch is targeting his third consecutive victory for the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 team at the 1-mile Arizona track, but he was boxed in when Brad Keselowski and William Byron stayed out on older tires during the stage’s only caution period. He settled for third at the stage break

RELATED: Stage 1 results

Joey Logano took fourth and Kyle Larson fifth in a top-five sweep by postseason-eligible drivers. Eight drivers remain alive in the playoff hunt, and they were among the top 11 at the first stage break.

The lone caution period of the stage flew on Lap 66 when Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s No. 17 Ford crunched the outside wall in Turn 4. All the postseason contenders pitted, exiting in nearly the same order they entered.

Driver Team Pts
1 Denny Hamlin (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 10
2 Chase Elliott (P) Hendrick Motorsports 9
3 Kyle Busch (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 8
4 Joey Logano (P) Team Penske 7
5 Kyle Larson (P) Chip Ganassi Racing 6
6 Brad Keselowski Team Penske 5
7 Ryan Blaney (P) Team Penske 4
8 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports 3
9 Kevin Harvick (P) Stewart-Haas Racing 2
10 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing 1
Posted on by Reid Spencer

AVONDALE, Ariz. – When cancer struck Edward Schrank for the fifth time, the 15-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran was told he would lose his jaw, his voice and, in all probability, his life.

Schrank sought a second opinion from another hospital and got a different prognosis and outcome. And on Saturday at ISM Raceway, he sang the National Anthem before the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200, the race that would determine the Championship 4 drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

RELATED: Full schedule for Phoenix

“I think cancer … there’s a lot of ways you can be brought close to death,” Schrank told the NASCAR Wire Service before pre-race ceremonies. “Cancer is one of those. And when you spend a lot of time being close to dying — which I spent a few years, being told that I was not going to live — and then you emerge from that, you want to have a big life.

“You want to live a lot. So I filled that gap with wanting to do something with my voice, since part of that was losing my voice forever.”

Schrank had already lost his left eye and part of his skull to the first occurrence of head-and-neck cancer, the result of exposure to JP5/8 jet fuel while he was serving in the Marines. Even though he had no background in singing, he saw the preservation of his voice as a gift that should be used.

“I like to say I’ve never sung a note in my life, but as I say that, my mom reminds me that she loved listening to me sing as an altar boy,” Schrank said. “But either way, I think you could round it down to zero, until I was told during my fifth occurrence of cancer that I was going to lose my voice, that they were going to remove my jaw, and I would never speak again.

“When I found a new hospital that was able to save my life and my voice, I thought, ‘Well, I should learn how to sing.’ ”

But why the National Anthem, generally recognized as one of the most difficult songs to sing?

“My background in the Marine Corps made me feel like … I love the National Anthem,” Schrank said. “And I also read repeatedly online that the stupidest thing to learn how to sing was the National Anthem.

“And I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to do that.’ Usually when people describe something as stupid, what they mean is people try it, and it’s too difficult, and they quit. And that’s usually something that I get attracted to.”

Now a healthcare entrepreneur who has formed the Military Cancer Initiative, Schrank also served as special assistant to the mayor of Chicago. When he decided to pursue singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” he enlisted the help of perhaps the best-known National Anthem singer in the world — Jim Cornelison, who provides a booming rendition of the anthem before every Chicago Blackhawks home game.

“He is solely responsible for my ability,” Schrank said. “I met with him, I begged him, I bothered him, I nagged him, and he helped me. I don’t think I showed any reason why he should take me on initially. I think he just wanted — he gave me a chance.

“And I took that chance, and I put in all the hard work from one meeting to give him the reason to take on more opportunities, and that turned into meetings most Fridays at his house for two or three hours of hard work.”

On Sunday, on the eve of Veterans Day, Schrank’s hard work, courage, determination was to be on display again for the singing of “God Bless America” before the Bluegreen Vacations 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

Posted on by PJ Walsh

Today’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race is the second to last of the season and the final chance for drivers to qualify for next week’s championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Following wins at Martinsville and Texas, respectively, Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick have already earned their tickets to Miami, with Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott hoping to join them.

Busch and Logano are currently in the driver’s seats, sitting 22 and 20 points above the cutline, respectively.

RELATED: Updated odds for Phoenix

On the other hand, Elliott’s only chance to advance to Homestead is by winning today’s Bluegreen Vacations 500 at ISM Raceway (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC). As a result, we’ll see differing strategies from the playoff drivers with some teams points racing and others throwing Hail Mary’s to try and win.

After analyzing previous results at Phoenix, this season’s races at similar tracks and this weekend’s on-track activity, here are my best bets to win today’s race based on odds at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas.

NASCAR at Phoenix Best Bet Picks

Joey Logano (16-1) to Win

This line is a head-scratcher for me. Logano ranked in the top-five in five-lap, 10-lap, 15-lap and 20-lap averages in final practice, showing that his car is good on both short and longer runs.

In yesterday’s qualifying session, Joey secured the second starting position, as well. At 16-1, we get a championship-caliber driver in top-notch equipment who has shown speed in race trim and has a great starting position.

Kyle Larson (20-1) to Win

Taking Larson is a bit of a hedge off Logano. While Joey was fast in Friday’s final practice, Larson had blazing speed in the opening session, posting the best five- and 10-lap averages.

And like Logano, Larson will have great track position to start the race after qualifying fifth.

In fact, I see a handful of books with Larson at better than Westgate’s 20-1, so take a minute to shop and you should be able to find something even better.

Matt DiBenedetto (60-1) to Win

There’s been a trend this season in which DiBenedetto tends to run well at tracks in which Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) does as well, like Bristol.

This makes sense since DiBenedetto’s team, Leavine Family Racing, has a technical alliance with JGR.

DiBenedetto qualified a respectable enough 16th for a long-shot driver, but what really caught my eye was his race speed in final practice. After running the fastest five-lap average and ranking second in 10-lap and 15-lap averages, I’m sold on 60-1 odds for a driver with that kind of speed.

With race-favorite Denny Hamlin (+175) eating so much of the implied probability pie, there’s still room to add more bets for today’s race even after taking all three of drivers listed above.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for any additional bets I make from now until green flag.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

AVONDALE, Ariz. – For a brief moment in time during Saturday’s Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200, Chase Briscoe looked poised to move on to the Xfinity Series Playoffs Championship 4.

Then race winner Justin Allgaier took things into his own hands.

After a Christopher Bell spin in the final stage brought out the caution, Briscoe’s No. 98 Ford team elected for a no-tire strategy on pit road, allowing him to take the lead on the ensuing restart on Lap 122. It took Allgaier 12 laps and a nose in the left-rear of Briscoe’s machine to regain the lead for good.

The caution flag Briscoe desperately needed never reemerged and the win – along with the coveted prize of a Championship 4 berth – went to the JR Motorsports driver, leaving the Stewart-Haas Racing driver on the outside looking in.

RELATED: Race results | Allgaier prevails

“We were both just racing hard,” Briscoe said of the contact. “I didn’t do a very good job when I had the lead of not making mistakes. I was probably watching my mirror too much and I knew it was going to be an uphill battle because he was so good.

“I was at a tire disadvantage so it was going to be even harder. I was all for it, I don’t think either of us did anything dirty. Just racing hard and we both knew what was on the line. Obviously he did a very good job today.”

Briscoe, who wound up eighth in the race and fifth in points, visited Allgaier in Victory Lane after the race to congratulate him on his advancement.

As good of a day as Saturday was for the 33-year-old series veteran, his pair of JRM teammates suffered at the expense of his success. Michael Annett (ninth) and Noah Gragson (10th) were each eliminated and will look to play spoiler next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Saturday’s Ford EcoBoost 300 (3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM).

One couldn’t help but hide his frustration, the other reflecting on the highlights from a career-defining season.

“Frustrating (season), but thankful for all the hard work. Move on,” Gragson said. “The 2, 00, 7, 20 car, they deserve to be in the final four, we don’t. Frustrating, but thankful to be racing in the Xfinity Series. … We didn’t show up.”

Annett had a top-five car all day before fading to the back of the top 10, and conceded that he “kind of had a feeling all week that the (7) car would be in Victory Lane this weekend,” indicating he knew a Miami berth was a long shot.

Still, Homestead was one of several milestones the No. 1 team set for itself ahead of the season and it nearly capitalized.

“We set our goal to be one of the four cars at Homestead, so that’s disappointing,” Annett said. “We didn’t accomplish everything we wanted to but we kind of had a list at the beginning of the year and we checked off probably everything but making it to Homestead and fighting for that championship. Really, really good season and it’s not over yet. I think being fifth place in points is a pretty special honor and we’re right there with the 98 car and the 22 fighting for that.”

Team Penske’s Austin Cindric was the final driver to be eliminated, and was succinct yet upbeat in summing up his day, which included a race-altering speeding penalty midway through.

“I think Justin was the class of the field today next to the 20, so it wasn’t going to be easy. Didn’t do myself any favors there (with the speeding penalty). Proud of our effort, just not enough today.”

Allgaier will join Christopher Bell, Cole Custer and defending champion Tyler Reddick for a South Beach showdown next weekend to decide the 2019 Xfinity Series champion in what’s setting up to be an instant classic.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

AVONDALE, Ariz. – Justin Allgaier’s timing was impeccable.

After a pit road speeding penalty and a subsequent spin KO’d the winning chances of pole-sitter Christopher Bell, Allgaier took full advantage, leading the final 66 laps of Saturday’s Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 to win for the first time this season and advance to next week’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 4 event at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

RELATED: Race results

Allgaier joins the so-called Big Three of Bell, Saturday’s runner-up Cole Custer and third-place finisher Tyler Reddick in the title race. Custer clinched his spot after running third in the second 45-lap stage. Reddick, the defending series champion, earned his spot on points after saving fuel over the final 79-lap green-flag run.

Allgaier won the race wearing a helmet designed by his 6-year-old daughter, Harper.

“This is the first time I’ve won with Harper’s helmet in the car, and it means a lot,” said Allgaier, who notched his second win at the 1-mile track and the 11th of his Xfinity career. “To have the speed that we’ve had (this year) and not be able to pull it off has been disappointing. These guys have rallied behind it. We said when we came here that we need to come here and get a win so we could go to Homestead, and we did that …

“We had a hot rod today. I don’t think we could have beaten the 20 (Bell), but when he made his mistake, we capitalized on it. That’s what it’s all about. … No question (not winning) is a weight on your shoulders, man. You can’t even begin to describe it.”

Custer was closing fast at the finish and cut Allgaier’s lead of more than three seconds to .810 seconds at the checkered flag on Lap 200.

“I was giving it all I had,” Custer said. “I was really struggling with the brake pedal. I kind of lost it at the start of the run. I had to save the whole run until like 15 laps to go, and then I just let it happen. I just came up a little bit short, but I think that was the best run we’ve had at Phoenix in a long time.

“I’m looking forward to Homestead, and hopefully we can do one spot better.”

The top four drivers in the playoff standings entering Saturday’s race were the four who will compete for the championship at Homestead. Missing out on points were sixth-place finisher Austin Cindric, eighth-place Chase Briscoe, ninth-place Michael Annett and 10th-place Noah Gragson.

John Hunter Nemechek ran fourth behind Reddick followed by an impressive Zane Smith, who tied his career-best result in his 10th Xfinity Series start.

Bell led a race-high 92 laps and won the first two stages, bringing his total of stage victories for the season to 22, but was flagged for speeding .03 mph over tolerance under caution at the end of Stage 2. After restarting from the rear, Bell climbed to eighth before spinning out while trying to cut the apron off Turn 2.

“I feel like I gave up a winner,” said Bell, whose focus nevertheless has been on next weekend’s race at Homestead, where he turned in a disappointing performance in the title event last year.

“This is what it’s all about,” Bell said. “It all comes down to this one next week. I’m ready for it. I feel really good about where we’re at, and our car is going to be extremely strong next week.

“We’ve prepared a ton for this. Ever since we left Homestead last year, we knew that this race was where we needed to improve. Pretty much all year long, we’ve been focused on Homestead.”

Annett had a close call early on when rookie Riley Herbst made contact with his No. 1 Chevrolet on Lap 13. Annett righted his car and drove away, but Herbst’s Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota skidded and backed into the Turn 3 retaining wall. Annett finished ninth.

Reddick will be aiming for his second straight Xfinity Series crown. Both he and Bell are signed to drive in the Monster Energy Series next season.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by RJ Kraft

Kyle Busch is on the pole for Sunday’s Bluegreen Vacations 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The race marks the elimination race of the Round of 8. Is the winner of the last two Phoenix races worthy of a spot on your roster? How should you navigate the playoff game format? We’ve dissected the numbers to offer a suggested lineup worthy of your Fantasy Live consideration.

PLAY NOW: Set your lineup | How the game works | Tips to set your lineup

RJ Kraft’s Fantasy Live lineup for race day at Phoenix
Playoff driver 1: Kyle Busch
Playoff driver 2: Denny Hamlin
Non-playoff driver 1: Aric Almirola
Non-playoff driver 2: Brad Keselowski
Garage: Kevin Harvick

RELATED: Odds for Phoenix | Lap averages | Weekend preview

Analysis: For me, Busch and Hamlin are must plays this weekend. Neither driver is locked in to the Championship 4. Hamlin looks to have the best car this weekend based on lap averages while Busch has won the last two races on the reconfigured track. On the non-playoff plays, I like Almirola’s recent history here — most points among non-playoff drivers in the past five races at Phoenix — and he’s never started better than 14th. He’ll line up 11th on Sunday.

For the other non-playoff spot, I looked at Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Erik Jones and Matt DiBenedetto. Jones’ inconsistency makes it tough to trust him two weekends in a row. I like DiBenedetto’s lap averages in final practice and the fact he won’t be owned by many, but I don’t like the starting spot. Busch has been hot and cold here as has Keselowski, so it is a gut call for me and I’m going with the 2012 champ based on feeling they will be a factor on Sunday.

The garage play was a tricky spot for me between nine-time Phoenix winner Harvick, win-or-go-home Chase Elliott and some consideration to Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr. and reigning champion Joey Logano. While Harvick is already locked in, his desert success is extremely hard to ignore as tempting as it is to go with the driver most likely to take big chances in Elliott. The risk with Elliott is those chances could pay off big and blow up in your face.

On the bonus picks, I’m taking Kyle Busch to win Stage 1 with Hamlin taking Stage 2 and the race win as well as Toyota for the manufacturer pick.

Each week in this space, we’ll also highlight two Props Challenge items for players.

MORE: Play the Props Challenge today

1. Which non-playoff driver will finish higher: Kurt Busch or Alex Bowman? I’m going with Busch here. The 2004 champion was the best qualifier among the non-playoff drivers as he will start eighth to Bowman’s 14th-place starting spot. But the two main reasons I am going with the Ganassi driver are better 10- and 15-lap averages and a better recent history at Phoenix.

2. O/U 5.5 playoff drivers finish in the top 10. I like the OVER here, especially with all eight playoff drivers starting in the top 10. Maintaining and improving track position is going to be huge in this race and the mark has been hit twice in this format — 2014 and 2015. Another reason to like the over: Seven of the top 10 cars in 15-lap averages were playoff drivers.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

AVONDALE, Ariz. – In a Saturday qualifying session that provided validation that the cream rises to the top, Kyle Busch earned his first pole position of the season, as seven Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff drivers claimed the top seven positions on the grid.

Navigating one-mile ISM Raceway in a blistering 25.693 seconds 140.116 mph, Busch edged Joey Logano (139.752 mph) by .067 seconds for Sunday’s Bluegreen Vacations 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the race that will determine which four drivers will race for the series championship on Nov. 17 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

RELATED: Qualifying results | Full Phoenix schedule

Busch is currently third in the playoff standings, two points ahead of defending series champion Logano in fourth and 22 points better than Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin in fifth, the first driver below the cutline for the Championship 4.

Hamlin qualified third on Saturday at 139.394 mph, one spot ahead of teammate Martin Truex Jr., who is already locked into the Championship 4 by virtue of his victory in the opening race of the Round of 8 at Martinsville.

“I think this is actually the first race all year we made a mock (qualifying) run in practice,” said Busch, who won his first Busch Pole Award of the season, his fourth at ISM Raceway and the 32nd of his career. “Maybe there’s something to that. The guys did a great job. We fight hard every week trying to figure out what we need to do to continue to improve and get better, and a lot of others guys have certainly done that over the year.”

Track position is of paramount importance at Phoenix, as is the No. 1 pit stall, which Busch earned with his qualifying run.

“Hopefully today bodes well for tomorrow,” he said. “I really don’t know. The schedule is all different with all practice all in one day and then just qualifying today. Overall, proud to start out front in this very important race and very important with track position and such.”

Kyle Larson, tied for sixth in the standings with Ryan Blaney, qualified fifth, one position ahead of Chase Elliott, who is eighth among the playoff contenders and must win on Sunday to advance to the Championship 4.

Kevin Harvick, who locked into the final race with last Sunday’s win at Texas, will start seventh on Sunday. Blaney qualified 10th, as all playoff drivers will start within the top five rows on Sunday.