08/08/26 04:00:00
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08/08 15:59 CDT Ryan Blaney wins pole for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at
Iowa Speedway
Ryan Blaney wins pole for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP
Associated Press
NEWTON, Iowa (AP) --- Ryan Blaney feels at home at Iowa Speedway.
Blaney turned a lap of 134.191 mph in Saturday's qualifying to win the pole for
Sunday's 350-lap NASCAR Cup Series race at the .875-mile oval.
Blaney won the inaugural Cup Series race at the track in 2024. He has two other
wins at the track --- an O'Reilly Auto Parts Series win in 2015 and picked up
his first Truck Series race win here in 2012.
"Personally, I just enjoy coming here," Blaney said. "I won my first trucks
race here a long time ago, so all those places where you get big first wins or
big first opportunities, they always have a special place in your heart and in
your head when you come back to these places. Even though it's a lot different
race track than what it used to be, I just enjoy coming here."
Blaney comes into the race third in the series point standings. He is 120
points behind series leader Denny Hamlin with four races left to determine a
regular-season champion before The Chase begins. Hamlin, who dealt with brake
issues all day, will start 29th.
"I don't think we're out of it," Blaney said. "But we don't really look too
much of that. We just try to do the best job we can on the weekend, try to
maximize your points, try to win the race. I still don't think it's outside the
realm of possibility (to win the regular-season championship). I think it is
plausible that we can get there."
Kyle Larson will start alongside Blaney on the front row. Joey Logano was third
in qualifying and Brad Keselowski was fourth, although Keselowski likely will
have to go to a backup car after hitting the wall in Turn 1 on his second
qualifying lap.
Defending champion William Byron qualified 19th.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing
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