Ryan Blaney Claims NASCAR Cup Pole at Watkins Glen

Ryan Blaney secured the pole position for Sunday's Go Bowling at The Glen NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International, narrowly beating Shane van Gisbergen with a lap time of 71.96 seconds. This marks Blaney's second pole of the 2025 season and the 12th of his career, while van Gisbergen, who has won three consecutive road course poles this season, will start second. Blaney, representing Team Penske, highlighted the significance of this achievement following a disappointing performance at the same event last year and emphasized the team's ongoing efforts to improve their road course program. Other notable qualifiers include Chase Briscoe in third, Ross Chastain fourth, and Kyle Busch fifth, with Busch needing a win to secure a playoff spot. The race is crucial as it is the third-to-last of the regular season, with several drivers near the playoff cut line aiming for a victory to advance. Both Blaney and van Gisbergen are expected to be major contenders in the race starting at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday.