For the second time this season, and the second straight time at Bristol Motor Speedway, Alex Bowman will be leading the NASCAR Cup Series field to the green flag, winning the pole for Sunday’s Food City 500.
Bowman was the tenth driver to make their run around the 0.533-mile concrete short track in Bristol, Tennessee, utilizing the perfect amount of shade and cloud cover to lay down the quickest lap of the afternoon.
“Just proud of our Ally No. 48 team and excited for a tire management race, it’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Bowman after winning the pole.
The Tucson, Arizona-native posted a lap time of 14.912 seconds (128.675mph) to secure the pole position, narrowly beating out Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. for the top spot.
It’s the seventh career pole position for Bowman in the NASCAR Cup Series, and the first time in his career at NASCAR’s top level that he’s recorded multiple poles in a single season.
Driving the No. 47 SunnyD-sponsored entry, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. recorded an impressive second-place starting spot, backing up his speed from practice earlier on Saturday morning, where he was quickest overall.
It’s the best-ever starting spot for the newly rebranded HYAK Motorsports, and the first time since the 2021 Coca-Cola 600 that Stenhouse has qualified on the front row in a NASCAR Cup Series event.
Kyle Larson, who dominated last Fall’s event at Bristol Motor Speedway and secured the pole position for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at the half-mile racetrack, will start from third.
Denny Hamlin, who is searching to win his third straight NASCAR Cup Series event after victories at Martinsville and Darlington, will start fourth, with Ryan Blaney completing the top five.
STARTING LINEUP: 2025 NCS Food City 500 at Bristol
Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell ranked sixth and seventh in qualifying, with AJ Allmendinger in eighth, and Spire Motorsports teammates Carson Hocevar and Justin Haley rounding out the top-10.
There were several changes to the weather throughout the 48-minute session, with multiple periods of complete overcast benefiting some drivers, while periods of sunlight hindered some others.
Other notables include Josh Berry (11th), Chase Briscoe (14th), Kyle Busch (15th), Brad Keselowski (16th), Chase Elliott (20th), Bubba Wallace (22nd), William Byron (26th), Tyler Reddick (27th), Ryan Preece (29th), and Ross Chastain (35th).
Jesse Love, making his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the No. 33 C4 Energy Chevrolet, will roll from 19th-place after a solid qualifying run.
A pair of problems occurred during Saturday’s session, with a pair of multi-time NASCAR Cup Series champions having problems back-to-back.
First, it was Kyle Busch, who looped his No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet off of Turn 4 on his final timed lap of qualifying after snapping loose. Luckily, the Richard Childress Racing driver received no damage.
.@KyleBusch goes for a spin in qualifying. ? pic.twitter.com/CXdrhynffR
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 12, 2025
Joey Logano wasn’t as lucky, though, after tagging the apron with his left-side wheels and snapping sideways at the exit of Turn 2, smacking the outside wall and receiving significant rear-end damage.
Damage from the wall for @joeylogano‘s No. 22. pic.twitter.com/UW5L6Zgsme
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 12, 2025
The field of 39 drivers will tackle Bristol Motor Speedway for 500 laps on Sunday, April 13 at 3:00 PM. Coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
