Kyle Busch edges Ryan Blaney for pole position at Gateway

MADISON, ILLINOIS - JUNE 03: Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 3CHI Chevrolet, poses for photos after winning the pole award during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway on June 03, 2023 in Madison, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at World Wide Technology Raceway broke a long dry spell for two-time series champion Kyle Busch.

Rocketing around the 1.25-mile irregularly shaped speedway in 32.802 seconds (137.187 mph), Busch won his first Cup pole position since Nov. 10, 2019, when he was first on the grid at Phoenix Raceway.

Earning his first Busch Light Pole Award for Richard Childress Racing, Busch edged Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 winner Ryan Blaney for the top starting spot by .008 seconds. Blaney, who had run the fastest lap of the day in the first round of time trials (32.797 seconds) clocked in a 137.153 mph in the money round.

“I haven’t been known as a great qualifier lately, apparently,” said Busch, who claimed the 33rd pole of his career. “Being able to get a pole here with Richard Childress Racing and Team Chevy and everybody with this No. 8 car is good for us just to try to get some momentum rolling.

“Our short-track stuff hasn’t been the greatest this year so far, but this isn’t the short=track aero package here this weekend, so that might pay dividends, hopefully, for us to have a better day than what we anticipated. Just excited to have the guys pumped up and raring to go and knowing that their hard work’s paying off.”

Busch credited improved performance in Turns 1 and 2 for his pole-winning lap.

“Being able to hit Turns 1 and 2, it seemed like that was where a lot of the speed was today,” Busch said. “But overall, the whole lap has to be put together. The adjustments we were making, the feedback I was able to give to (crew chief) Randall (Burnett) and the guys, they did a good job of being able to get me what I was looking for and make it better as we went.

“We saved the best for last there that last run.”

Blaney will start on the outside of the front row, but his team lost pit selection when his No. 12 Team Penske Ford failed inspection twice on Friday.

Denny Hamlin qualified third at 137.153 mph, followed by Kevin Harvick (136.866 mph) and Martin Truex Jr. (136.360 mph). Defending race winner Joey Logano, three-time 2023 winner William Byron, Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick and Austin Cindric will start from positions six through 10 on the grid, respectively.

Subbing for suspended Chase Elliott, Corey LaJoie qualified 30th. Carson Hocevar, who is taking LaJoie’s place in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, claimed the 26th starting spot.