Ryan Blaney wins Atlanta Cup pole as Penske teammates lock out front row

Ryan Blaney took the Atlanta Cup Series pole on Saturday, leading a Penske 1-2 lockout with teammate Joey Logano alongside him.

What happened?

Ryan Blaney topped Saturday’s qualifying at EchoPark Speedway with a lap time of 30.815 seconds at 179.912 mph. His Penske teammate Joey Logano followed in second with a 30.851-second lap at 179.702 mph. The pair gave Ford the front row for Sunday night’s Cup Series race.

Blaney is third in the Cup points race heading into the Atlanta event. Denny Hamlin leads the standings, while Tyler Reddick sits second. Both qualified outside the top 25 at 28th and 31st respectively in their 23XI Racing Toyotas.

Why it matters for Ryan Blaney

Blaney called it “good to have a Penske front row” and pointed to his ability to work with other Ford drivers. He added that Penske’s organization still has room to improve before race day.

The pole gives Blaney a prime starting spot at a track where he expects rivals to be aggressive. He noted that 23XI’s Toyotas were strong in the spring race here. Reddick won at EchoPark back on Feb. 22.

Kyle Larson claimed the third spot in qualifying, followed by Austin Dillon and Daniel Suarez. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott lined up sixth and seventh. Elliott won last summer’s race at his home track near Atlanta.

Austin Cindric, Ross Chastain and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top 10 qualifiers.

What comes next?

Blaney will start on the inside of the front row Sunday night. He’ll aim to convert the pole into his first Atlanta win in the Cup Series.

Logano will line up beside him, giving Penske two cars in the top two spots. The team will look to keep both cars up front through Sunday’s 325-lap race.

Toyota teams like 23XI will push hard from deep in the field. Hamlin and Reddick’s struggles in qualifying contrast with Blaney’s run, setting up an intriguing Sunday battle.