Chase Briscoe returned to the top of the qualifying charts on Saturday at Kansas Speedway, capturing his seventh pole of the 2025 season for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400. The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver posted a 29.987-second lap at 180.078 mph, edging teammate Denny Hamlin by just 0.101 seconds. Briscoe’s performance highlighted the dominance of playoff drivers at the intermediate 1.5-mile track, while several top contenders from Team Penske faced technical issues that sent them to the rear of the field.
Key Highlights
• Chase Briscoe won his seventh 2025 pole, fastest at 29.987 seconds (180.078 mph)
• Joe Gibbs Racing playoff drivers claimed three of the top five starting spots.
• Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Christopher Bell also finished in the top five.
• Team Penske playoff drivers Blaney, Logano, and Cindric will start 37th, 35th, and 26th.
• Non-playoff drivers Carson Hocevar and Ty Gibbs finished sixth and eighth.
Chase Briscoe Leads Playoff Contingent
Briscoe’s pole marks his first at Kansas Speedway and ninth of his career. He was the only driver to break the 30-second lap barrier, setting the tone for Sunday’s race. Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, representing Hendrick Motorsports, qualified third and fourth at 179.396 mph and 179.063 mph, respectively, while Christopher Bell secured fifth at 179.015 mph. Briscoe reflected on the session, noting the slower speeds compared to earlier in the season.
“This time around, not a single car in the field ran wide-open through (Turns) 1 and 2. Everything we had prepped for was kind of totally opposite from what we just did there. I thought my team did a really good job of making adjustments for the slower pace and everything that goes into that.” – Chase Briscoe
The top 12 starting positions were heavily populated by playoff drivers, giving teams like Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and RFK Racing a strategic advantage. Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain qualified seventh and ninth, respectively, while William Byron and Tyler Reddick will line up 11th and 12th.
Team Penske’s Struggles
Team Penske playoff drivers faced challenges throughout the weekend. Ryan Blaney suffered a right-rear tire issue in practice and crashed into the outside wall, preventing him from posting a qualifying lap. Joey Logano experienced a similar tire problem and lifted off during his lap to avoid a worse incident, while Austin Cindric scraped the wall and will start 26th.
“It just didn’t feel right (in practice), so I took it a little safe than sorry and lifted off in the corner, which is when it really came apart. I’m glad I caught it there. I got a little lucky, but overall, it should be OK with the Shell/Pennzoil Mustang. We’ll put four tires on it, make some adjustments, cross our fingers and hope she runs good.” – Joey Logano
Blaney, Logano, and Cindric’s rear-start positions create an uphill battle, particularly in the Round of 12 playoff points chase. Blaney’s victory at New Hampshire last weekend locks him into the Round of 8, but starting deep in the field presents added risk and strategy challenges.
Full Starting Lineup
| Pos | Driver | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chase Briscoe (P) | 180.078 |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin (P) | 179.474 |
| 3 | Kyle Larson (P) | 179.396 |
| 4 | Chase Briscoe (P) | 179.063 |
| 5 | Christopher Bell (P) | 179.015 |
| 6 | Carson Hocevar | 178.642 |
| 7 | Bubba Wallace (P) | 178.371 |
| 8 | Ty Gibbs | 178.283 |
| 9 | Ross Chastain (P) | 178.265 |
| 10 | Erik Jones | 178.136 |
| 11 | William Byron (P) | 178.065 |
| 12 | Tyler Reddick (P) | 178.053 |
| 13 | Josh Berry | 178.012 |
| 14 | Noah Gragson | 177.690 |
| 15 | Chris Buescher | 177.684 |
| 16 | Austin Dillon | 177.521 |
| 17 | Alex Bowman | 177.503 |
| 18 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 177.433 |
| 19 | Ryan Preece | 177.410 |
| 20 | AJ Allmendinger | 177.328 |
| 21 | Michael McDowell | 177.101 |
| 22 | Justin Haley | 177.061 |
| 23 | Todd Gilliland | 177.026 |
| 24 | Shane van Gisbergen # | 176.887 |
| 25 | John Hunter Nemechek | 176.667 |
| 26 | Austin Cindric (P) | 176.534 |
| 27 | Cole Custer | 176.517 |
| 28 | Zane Smith | 176.292 |
| 29 | Kyle Busch | 176.085 |
| 30 | Daniel Suarez | 175.741 |
| 31 | Brad Keselowski | 175.735 |
| 32 | Riley Herbst # | 175.564 |
| 33 | Ty Dillon | 175.120 |
| 34 | Cody Ware | 173.561 |
| 35 | Joey Logano (P) | 171.222 |
| 36 | JJ Yeley (i) | 167.286 |
| 37 | Ryan Blaney (P) | 0.000 |
Practice Session Insights
Saturday’s practice sessions set the stage for qualifying and offered a glimpse at car performance across the field. Chris Buescher posted the fastest lap of the day at 176.056 mph, while Zane Smith, Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace, and John Hunter Nemechek rounded out the top five fastest laps. Erik Jones, Justin Haley, Briscoe, Todd Gilliland, and Ty Dillon completed the top 10. Teams used the practice time to fine-tune setups, particularly on tire management and handling through Kansas Speedway’s unique 1.5-mile configuration.
Playoff drivers dominated early practice runs, indicating their competitive focus on pit strategy and lap consistency. The combination of track adjustments, tire wear, and cooler-than-expected speeds made car setup critical, which Briscoe’s team executed perfectly to secure the pole.
News in Brief: Hollywood Casino 400: Full Starting Lineup and Pole Winner Revealed
Chase Briscoe earned his seventh 2025 pole at Kansas Speedway with a 29.987-second lap, leading a strong showing from Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports playoff drivers. Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Christopher Bell qualified in the top five, while non-playoff drivers Carson Hocevar and Ty Gibbs posted solid laps in sixth and eighth. Team Penske drivers Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Austin Cindric faced practice and qualifying issues, sending them to the rear. Fans should tune in Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network and HBO Max for full race coverage.
ALSO READ: Complete Guide to NASCAR Playoffs at Kansas Speedway This Weekend
