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Shriners Children’s 500 Qualifying Recap 2025: Byron on Pole, Top Surprises & Full Lineup

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Hey NASCAR fans! Bryan here with your qualifying breakdown for Race #4 of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series—the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

As always, qualifying brought plenty of surprises, some familiar faces at the front, and a couple of shockers that have us wondering what Sunday’s race might look like.

Pole Position: Byron Lays Down a Scorcher

William Byron absolutely crushed it in qualifying, snagging the pole with a blazing fast lap of 26.930 seconds (133.680 mph). Even though Byron admitted post-session that his lap felt a little sideways and he missed the corner a bit, his time was unbeatable.

Hendrick Motorsports has clearly dialed in their setup for Phoenix, and Byron now looks like the driver to beat when the green flag drops.

Front Row Standouts & Surprise Performers

Joining Byron on the front row is Joey Logano, continuing his strong qualifying performances with another impressive run—clocking in at 27.028 seconds. Logano’s consistency in qualifying makes him an obvious favorite heading into Sunday’s race.

But let’s talk about some surprises: Carson Hocevar had everyone talking after securing third place on the grid. Driving the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Hocevar stunned the field with his speed and composure. It’s awesome to see him and Spire Motorsports shaking things up!

Another standout was Josh Berry in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford, who secured the fourth spot. Berry continues to impress whenever he gets the chance, showing why he’s a rising star worth keeping an eye on.

Erik Jones rounds out the top five in his Legacy Motor Club Toyota, another team stepping up in a big way this weekend.

Notable Qualifying Stories

Outside the top five, we had some mixed fortunes. Tyler Reddick, my main driver locked in for the season, qualified mid-pack and has his work cut out for him.

Kyle Busch, always a contender, also didn’t deliver the kind of qualifying performance we’d typically expect, landing further down the grid.

Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell—both picks in my fantasy lineup—qualified solidly, positioning themselves well for race day.

Chase Briscoe, now racing for Joe Gibbs Racing, also showed promise in qualifying, comfortably placing himself in a competitive spot.

Looking Ahead to Race Day

Sunday’s race promises plenty of excitement. Byron and Logano up front will be tough to beat, but don’t count out drivers like Hocevar and Berry—they’ve clearly got something special cooking. And as we’ve seen in past races, qualifying pace doesn’t always predict race results, especially at a tricky track like Phoenix.

Expect strategic pit stops, aggressive restarts, and possibly some bump-and-run tactics to keep things entertaining. With several drivers needing to fight through the field, we’re guaranteed action from start to finish.

The Shriners Children’s 500 kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. I’ll see you at the green flag—let’s go racing!

​Here is the official starting lineup for the 2025 Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix Raceway:​

  1. William Byron (#24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) – 26.930 seconds (133.680 mph)​
  2. Joey Logano (#22 Team Penske Ford) – 27.028 seconds (133.195 mph)​
  3. Carson Hocevar (#77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet) – 27.043 seconds (133.121 mph)​
  4. Josh Berry (#21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford) – 27.088 seconds (132.900 mph)​
  5. Erik Jones (#43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota) – 27.091 seconds (132.885 mph)​
  6. Chase Elliott (#9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) – 27.099 seconds (132.846 mph)​
  7. Michael McDowell (#71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet) – 27.099 seconds (132.846 mph)​
  8. Justin Haley (#7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet) – 27.111 seconds (132.787 mph)​
  9. Tyler Reddick (#45 23XI Racing Toyota) – 27.113 seconds (132.778 mph)​
  10. Denny Hamlin (#11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) – 27.150 seconds (132.597 mph)​
  11. Christopher Bell (#20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) – 27.153 seconds (132.582 mph)​
  12. Ryan Blaney (#12 Team Penske Ford) – 27.157 seconds (132.563 mph)​
  13. Chris Buescher (#17 RFK Racing Ford) – 27.168 seconds (132.509 mph)​
  14. Austin Cindric (#2 Team Penske Ford) – 27.170 seconds (132.499 mph)​
  15. Kyle Busch (#8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) – 27.189 seconds (132.406 mph)​
  16. A.J. Allmendinger (#16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet) – 27.221 seconds (132.251 mph)​
  17. Kyle Larson (#5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) – 27.222 seconds (132.246 mph)​
  18. Riley Herbst (#35 23XI Racing Toyota) – 27.226 seconds (132.227 mph)​
  19. Bubba Wallace (#23 23XI Racing Toyota) – 27.258 seconds (132.071 mph)​
  20. Brad Keselowski (#6 RFK Racing Ford) – 27.284 seconds (131.945 mph)
  21. Austin Dillon (#3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) – 27.322 seconds (131.762 mph)​
  22. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (#47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet) – 27.334 seconds (131.704 mph)​
  23. Cole Custer (#41 Haas Factory Team Ford) – 27.340 seconds (131.675 mph)
  24. Ross Chastain (#1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet) – 27.350 seconds (131.627 mph)​
  25. Ty Dillon (#10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet) – 27.364 seconds (131.560 mph)​
  26. Zane Smith (#38 Front Row Motorsports Ford) – 27.372 seconds (131.521 mph)​
  27. Todd Gilliland (#34 Front Row Motorsports Ford) – 27.458 seconds (131.109 mph)​
  28. Ryan Preece (#60 RFK Racing Ford) – 27.464 seconds (131.081 mph)​
  29. Shane van Gisbergen (#88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet) – 27.480 seconds (131.004 mph)​
  30. Chase Briscoe (#19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) – 27.520 seconds (130.814 mph)
  31. Daniel Suárez (#99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet) – 27.555 seconds (130.648 mph)​
  32. Alex Bowman (#48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) – 27.647 seconds (130.213 mph)​
  33. Noah Gragson (#4 Front Row Motorsports Ford) – 27.660 seconds (130.152 mph)​
  34. Ty Gibbs (#54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) – 27.681 seconds (130.053 mph)
  35. Cody Ware (#51 Rick Ware Racing Ford) – 27.826 seconds (129.375 mph)​
  36. John Hunter Nemechek (#42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota) – 27.842 seconds (129.301 mph)​
  37. Katherine Legge (#78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet) – 28.060 seconds (128.297 mph)​

Note: All times and speeds are based on the qualifying session held on March 8, 2025.

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Bryan
"🏁 Cruising the fast lane for over a decade at DrivingOnMarbles.com! 🚗 Passionate about all things NASCAR and dedicated to connecting fellow fans. Gear up and join the race with me! 🏎️💨 #10YearsAndCounting"