Starting Lineup: NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix

Denny Hamlin will start from the pole in his bid for an elusive NASCAR Cup Series Championship on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.

Hamlin qualified on the pole during Saturday's qualifying session for the final race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, with a time of 26.914 seconds around the 1-mile Phoenix Raceway. Two of his Championship 4 compatriots, William Byron and Kyle Larson, qualified second and third, respectively. The final title hopeful, Chase Briscoe, will start 12th.

Austin Cindric qualified fourth, with his Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney rounding out the top five.

Whichever driver out of the Championship 4 finishes in the highest position in Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Championship will be declared this year's champion. Hamlin, Byron and Briscoe are seeking their first Cup Series championships, while Larson claimed the honor in 2021 with a Phoenix win.

A.J. Allmendinger did not make a lap during the qualifying session. He and his team are going to a backup car after an incident during practice on Friday.

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race takes the green flag at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 2, with coverage on NBC, Peacock, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

-Photo credit: David Rosenblum, Lumen Digital Agency for Toyota Gazoo Racing

NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race Starting Lineup