After hosting the NASCAR Cup Series championship finale each year from 2020 to 2025, Phoenix Raceway was moved forward three weeks in the postseason schedule, and it is scheduled to host this Sunday's Freeway Insurance 500.
Qualifying has taken place just twice in the first six weeks of the 10-race 2026 playoffs, with inclement weather canceling as many qualifying sessions during that stretch as it did throughout the entire 2024 and 2025 seasons combined.
Should qualifying for Sunday's 312-lap race around the four-turn, 1.022-mile (1.645-kilometer) Avondale, Arizona oval take place as planned on Saturday, it would be a single-round session, with no second-round shootout for pole like there is on superspeedways.
And because Phoenix is technically more than one mile in length, thus making it an intermediate track rather than a traditional short track, each driver is set to run just one qualifying lap, without the option to run a second. The qualifying metric determined the full 37-car order for Saturday's session.
Follow along with our qualifying updates from Phoenix.
NASCAR Cup Series starting lineup at Phoenix
Note that this starting lineup is not official until all 37 drivers on the entry list are included.
1 - Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet - 136.199
2 - Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet - 135.649
3 - Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford - 135.338
4 - Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford - 134.933
5 - Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota - 134.6
6 - Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford - 134.569
7 - A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet - 134.524
8 - Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet - 134.419
9 - Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet - 134.253
10 - Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota - 134.193
11 - Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford - 134.118
12 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet - 133.744
13 - John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota - 133.615
14 - Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet - 133.546
15 - Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet - 133.403
16 - Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet - 133.383
17 - Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota - 133.323
18 - Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet - 132.964
Tune in to USA Network for its final race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season this Sunday, October 18 at 3:00 p.m. ET. After the Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway, all remaining races on this year's schedule are set to be shown live on NBC, so begin a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss any of the action!
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