After just four qualifying sessions were canceled across the 2024 and 2025 NASCAR Cup Series seasons combined, nine have already been canceled in 2026, and that number includes four in the first six weeks of the 10-race Chase postseason.
Qualifying for Sunday's Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway is scheduled to take place on Saturday at 2:35 p.m. local time (5:35 p.m. ET), following practice at 1:30 p.m. PT (4:30 p.m. ET).
But according to AccuWeather, there is a 55% chance of "thick cloud cover with a thunderstorm in spots in the afternoon" in Avondale, Arizona.
In other words, the Cup Series might very well see its fifth qualifying session canceled since the month of September began.
If qualifying does get canceled for the 10th time this year, the qualifying metric would set the full 37-car starting lineup for Sunday's 312-lap race around the four-turn, 1.022-mile (1.645-kilometer) Avondale oval. The metric is based 30% on the owner standings and 70% on the results of the most recent race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Note that, unlike when it comes to playoff qualifying orders, playoff drivers and non-playoff drivers are not factored in separately, so despite always occupying the bottom 16 spots in the qualifying order, playoff drivers are not guaranteed to start in the top 16 when qualifying is canceled.
Here's what the Freeway Insurance 500 starting lineup would look like if Saturday's qualifying session is canceled.
NASCAR starting lineup at Phoenix if qualifying is canceled again
Order | Driver |
|---|---|
1 | Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
2 | Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
3 | Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford |
4 | Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
5 | Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
6 | Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota |
7 | Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford |
8 | Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
9 | Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford |
10 | Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford |
11 | Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
12 | Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
13 | Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
14 | Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford |
15 | Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford |
16 | Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
17 | Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota |
18 | Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
19 | Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota |
20 | Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
21 | Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
22 | Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
23 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet |
24 | Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
25 | Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford |
26 | Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
27 | A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
28 | Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
29 | Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
30 | Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet |
31 | Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota |
32 | William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
33 | Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
34 | Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
35 | Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet |
36 | John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
37 | Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
USA Network's live coverage of Sunday afternoon's Freeway Insurance 500 is set to begin at 3:00 p.m. ET. Don't miss any of the action playoff race number seven of 10 on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule from Phoenix Raceway!
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