AVONDALE, Ariz. — Martin Truex Jr. will lead the field to the green flag in his final start as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver.
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Truex, who is using a throwback scheme this weekend, won the pole with a lap of 26.718 seconds. This is his 25th career Cup pole win and his second of the season. Truex also won the pole at Martinsville last weekend.
MORE: Truex wins pole, full starting lineup
Championship 4 driver Joey Logano qualified second with a lap of 26.728 seconds. He was followed by Ross Chastain (26.812 seconds), Kyle Larson (26.804), and Chase Elliott (26.820).
Ty Gibbs (26.811), Christopher Bell (26.992), William Byron (26.822), Harrison Burton (27.234), and Tyler Reddick (26.842) rounded out the top 10.
Ryan Blaney was the only playoff driver to miss the final round of qualifying. His lap was the 17th-fastest overall at 26.813 seconds. Last year, he qualified 15th for the championship race before going on to finish second in the race. He also won the Cup title.
Logano avoided a major issue before qualifying. His No. 22 Team Penske Ford failed inspection twice, which resulted in the loss of pit stall selection and the ejection of a crew member. The car passed on the third attempt, so Logano avoided bigger issues. He was able to post a qualifying lap, and he does not have to serve a pass-through penalty.
Truex, the 2017 Cup Series champion, has won the pole twice at Phoenix Raceway in his career. The first time was in 2009. The second time was in 2018. Truex finished fifth in both races.
For comparison, the veteran driver started fifth overall when he won at Phoenix Raceway in 2021. Now, he will try to win from the pole to close out his career.
"It would be a storybook that's for sure," Truex said Saturday before qualifying. "It's not going to be easy.
"I think we had pretty good speed yesterday but certainly not what we need to win yet so hopefully they can find some magic in the adjustments and the things we're allowed to do to these cars these days so we'll see."
