Chase Elliott Takes Pole at Phoenix, First Pole of 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season

AVONDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 06: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, practices during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 06, 2020 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Chase Elliott took the pole for Sunday’s Fan Shield 500 at Phoenix Raceway with a lap of 138.116 mph, which equates to 26.065 sec.

Elliott’s lap, which secured his first pole of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, and ninth of his career, was just 0.045 sec. faster than Kevin Harvick, who will start from second.

The Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet teams continue to show improvement in 2020, as Elliott has secured three Stage wins in 2020 in addition to Saturday’s pole and Alex Bowman won a week ago at Auto Club Speedway.

Elliott has a career-best finish at Phoenix of second, which came in the fall of 2017. Harvick is a nine-time winner — most all-time — at the track.

Coming to the green behind Elliott and Harvick on Sunday will be Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney — who announced a contract extension with Team Penske this week — rounds out the top-five in qualifying.

 

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