NASCAR Cup Bristol Starting Lineup: Denny Hamlin Sets Up 3-Peat Bid With Strong Qualifying Run

Denny Hamlin stands on the brink of creating history at the Food City 500 in Bristol, Tennessee. Victories at Darlington and Martinsville have set the stage, and now, with a sharp qualifying performance under his belt, he’s got the momentum to pull it off.

Denny Hamlin Sharp in Bristol Qualifying

The NASCAR Cup Series 2025 season hits the quarter-mark with the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 13.

Hamlin and Kyle Larson are seen as the favorites heading into the race. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is riding high on confidence after back-to-back wins at Darlington and Martinsville. Larson, meanwhile, will draw inspiration from his strong record on the Bristol short track in recent years.

The 0.533-mile bullring in Bristol, Tennessee, famously known as “The Last Great Colosseum,” has seen Hamlin claim four victories. Now he’s looking forward to making a three-peat Cup series win here at this track, a second for a driver in the 2025 season after Christopher Bell.

Cup lineup for Sunday at Bristol ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/NvHjCAPr6S

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 12, 2025

But it’s Alex Bowman who’ll lead the field to green after claiming pole position in Saturday’s qualifying session. He’ll be sharing the front row with a surprise contender in Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who clocked the second-fastest time on the high-banked half-mile oval.

NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 Qualifying Results

1. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (14.912 seconds)
2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet (14.925)
3. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (14.931)
4. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (14.937)
5. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford (14.955)
6. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (14.964)
7. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (14.969)
8. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (15.002)
9. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (15.019)
10. Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (15.030)
11. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford (15.058)
12. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (15.074)
13. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (15.075)
14. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (15.088)
15. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (15.097)
16. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford (15.098)
17. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (15.099)
18. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (15.130)
19. Jesse Love, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (15.137)
20. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (15.138)
21. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford (15.149)
22. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota (15.193)
23. Daniel Suárez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (15.204)
24. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford (15.246)
25. Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota (15.247)
26. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (15.263)
27. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota (15.268)
28. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota (15.274)
29. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford (15.290)
30. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford (15.297)
31. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford (15.301)
32. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota (15.304)
33. Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford (15.322)
34. Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford (15.441)
35. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (15.448)
36. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (15.569)
37. Corey Lajoie, No. 01 Rick Ware Racing Ford (15.641)
38. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford (16.275)
39. Josh Bilicki, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford (16.348)