NASCAR: 2017 Can-Am 500 qualifying results – Ryan Blaney on pole

Ryan Blaney will start on pole in the 2017 Can-Am 500, ninth race of this year’s NASCAR Cup Series playoffs and the final race in the Round of 8.

The 35th race of the 36-race 2017 NASCAR Cup Series season, the Can-Am 500, is set to take place at Phoenix International Raceway this Sunday. The race is the ninth of 10 in this year’s playoffs, and it is the final race of the Round of 8 before the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Seven of the eight Round of 8 playoff drivers will start the race in the top 12, with the only one not set to do so being Brad Keselowski, who will start back in 16th place. Keselowski is the driver currently in the fourth and final Championship 4 playoff spot, as Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. have already secured three of the four spots.

The race polesitter will be Ryan Blaney, the 23-year-old Wood Brothers Racing driver who has started on pole once in his Cup Series career thus far. That took place in May at Kansas Speedway. Blaney, the driver of the #21 Ford, currently sits 22 points behind Keselowski for that final Championship 4 spot and appears to have a great shot at taking it away from him on Sunday.

Here are the full Round of 8 driver standings heading into the Can-Am 500.

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As stated above, Keselowski will start the race in 16th place on Sunday and Blaney will lead the field to the green flag from the pole position. Denny Hamlin is set to start alongside Blaney in 2nd, with Chase Elliott set to start directly behind Hamlin in 4th. Jimmie Johnson is set to start 12th, a position higher than only that of Keselowski among Round of 8 drivers.

Here are the full qualifying results for the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway (Round of 8 playoff drivers in italics):

1. Ryan Blaney, Ford, Wood Brothers Racing
2. Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
3. Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
4. Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
5. Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, Furniture Row Racing
6. Kevin Harvick, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
7. Matt Kenseth, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
8. Kyle Busch, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
9. Joey Logano, Ford, Team Penske
10. Daniel Suarez, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
11. Erik Jones, Toyota, Furniture Row Racing
12. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
13. Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
14. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
15. Kurt Busch, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
16. Brad Keselowski, Ford, Team Penske
17. Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
18. Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
19. Paul Menard, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
20. Clint Bowyer, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
21. Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
22. Aric Almirola, Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
23. A.J. Allmendinger, Chevrolet, JTG-Daugherty Racing
24. Danica Patrick, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
25. Trevor Bayne, Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
26. David Ragan, Ford, Front Row Motorsports
27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
28. Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, Leavine Family Racing
29. Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, Germain Racing
30. Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, Go Fas Racing
31. Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, JTG-Daugherty Racing
32. Landon Cassill, Ford, Front Row Motorsports
33. Corey LaJoie, Toyota, BK Racing
34. Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, TriStar Motorsports
35. Joey Gase, Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports
36. David Starr, Toyota, MBM Racing
37. DJ Kennington, Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports
38. Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, TMG-Circle Sport Racing
39. Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, Rick Ware Racing
40. Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, StarCom Racing

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Be sure to tune into the Can-Am 500 on Sunday, November 12th. It will be broadcast live from Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona on NBC starting at 2:30 PM ET.