Ryan Blaney Wins Pole for Food City 500 at Bristol

NASCAR Cup Series qualifying sets the lineup for the race at The Last Great Colosseum.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 10:29pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the high-speed action of a NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway, with the cars and track broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color and form.Blaney's pole-winning lap sets the stage for an intense battle at the Bristol short track.Bristol Today

Ryan Blaney has won the pole position for the upcoming Food City 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Blaney posted the fastest qualifying lap time, with Tyler Reddick joining him on the front row. Several teams were penalized and will lose their preferred pit stall selections for the race due to inspection failures.

Why it matters

Qualifying is crucial at Bristol, a high-banked short track where track position is paramount. Blaney and Reddick will have the best starting spots, giving them an advantage to potentially win the race. The penalties for the other teams could impact their race strategies and pit stop execution.

The details

Blaney's fast lap time of 15.101 seconds edged out Reddick for the pole position. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the fastest in the first practice group, while Austin Cindric had the fastest lap in the second group. However, the margins were extremely tight, with the next 11 cars all within a tenth of a second of Stenhouse's time. The penalties handed down will force the affected teams to start from less desirable pit stalls, which could hinder their ability to make quick pit stops and maintain track position during the race.

  • Qualifying for the Food City 500 took place on April 11, 2026.
  • The Food City 500 NASCAR Cup Series race is scheduled for April 12, 2026.

The players

Ryan Blaney

The driver who won the pole position for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Tyler Reddick

The driver who will start on the front row alongside Blaney for the Food City 500.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

The driver who had the fastest lap time in the first practice group ahead of qualifying.

Austin Cindric

The driver who had the fastest lap time in the second practice group ahead of qualifying.

Kyle Larson

The Hendrick Motorsports driver whose team was penalized and lost their pit stall selection for the race.

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What they’re saying

“Losing that pit stall selection here is definitely not ideal, because it could work out, but if it doesn't, these boxes are tight, Clint. Getting out of pit road here is not easy if you have the wrong positioning of cars around you.”

— Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Driver

What’s next

The Food City 500 NASCAR Cup Series race will take place on April 12, 2026 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The takeaway

Qualifying at Bristol is crucial, as track position is so important at the high-banked short track. Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick will have the best starting spots, but the penalties handed down to several teams could impact their ability to maintain track position throughout the race.