NASCAR Pennzoil 400 starting lineup - Defending champion Joey Logano wins first pole in 2023

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano grabbed his first pole of the 2023 season for the Pennzoil 400. Logano posted a lap of 29.028 (186.053 mph) on the 1.5-mile circuit to claim his 27th career pole. The #22 driver, a favorite heading into the weekend, won the Playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last year.

Heading into the practice session, Josh Berry grabbed the headlines by taking the wheel for the #9 car. Berry was named as a substitute for the injured #9 driver Chase Elliot. The 2020 NASCAR champion fractured his tibia in a snowboarding accident on Friday, ruling him out of the race.

In Qualifying, Berry posted a lap of 30.153 (179.087 mph) and will be starting in the 32nd position in his third NASCAR Cup Series start.

Tyler Reddick didn't post a time in either practice or qualifying due to engine issues discovered by the team on Saturday morning. B.J. McLeod's qualifying attempt was hampered due to a transaxle issue.

Harrison Burton didn't participate in the qualifying session after damaging his car in the practice session. The #21 car ran over a lug nut on the front stretch, damaging the radiator. Burton couldn't control the car as it snapped and hit the outside wall.

William Byron qualifies on the front row starting beside Logano as the fastest Chevrolet driver. Rookie Ty Gibbs took his highest qualifying position in fourth, ahead of all the Toyotas.

Kyle Busch lines up in the third row. The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion seems unstoppable, winning the previous race at the Auto Club Speedway. He also won the Truck series race on Friday.

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NASCAR: Starting lineup for the Pennzoil 400

The starting lineup for the Pennzoil 400:

1. #22 - Joey Logano
2. #24 - William Byron
3. #12 - Ryan Blaney
4. #54 - Ty Gibbs (R)
5. #8 - Kyle Busch
6. #5 - Kyle Larson
7. #6 - Brad Keselowski
8. #1 - Ross Chastain
9. #2 - Austin Cindric
10. #20 - Christopher Bell
11. #48 - Alex Bowman
12. #11 - Denny Hamlin
13. #23 - Bubba Wallace
14. #4 - Kevin Harvick
15. #19 - Martin Truex Jr.
16. #47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
17. #34 - Michael McDowell
18. #17 - Chris Buescher
19. #7 - Corey LaJoie
20. #14 - Chase Briscoe
21. #10 - Aric Almirola
22. #43 - Erik Jones
23. #16 - AJ Allmendinger
24. #99 - Daniel Suarez
25. #42 - Noah Gragson (R)
26. #3 - Austin Dillon
27. #31 - Justin Haley
28. #38 - Todd Gilliland
29. #15 - J.J. Yeley
30. #51 - Cody Ware
31. #41 - Ryan Preece
32. #9 - Josh Berry
33. #77 - Ty Dillon
34. #45 - Tyler Reddick
35. #21 - Harrison Burton
36. #78 - B.J. McLeod

The green flag for the Pennzoil 400 drops at 3:30 PM ET on Sunday, March 5.