For the first time at Sonoma Raceway, Denny Hamlin will lead the NASCAR Cup Series field to the green flag.
Hamlin earned the pole for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX) with a second run in the final round of qualifying. He shot to the top of the leaderboard in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at 92.178mph (77.719s).
It’s Hamlin’s second pole of the season and the 38th of his career.
He will share the front row with one of the 23XI Racing cars he owns — the No. 45 Toyota of Tyler Reddick, who ran a fast lap of 92.068mph.
Michael McDowell qualified third at 92.060mph, Christopher Bell fourth at 91.877mph and AJ Allmendinger fifth at 91.873mph.
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Ty Gibbs qualified sixth at 91.819mph, Chris Buescher seventh at 91.811mph, Martin Truex Jr. eighth at 91.736mph and Daniel Suarez ninth at 91.449mph.
Suarez is the defending race winner in Sonoma. It was his first career win in the Cup Series.
Chase Elliott rounded out the top 10 qualifiers at 91.308mph. Elliott returns to action in Sonoma after serving a one-race suspension for hooking Hamlin in the Coca-Cola 600 last month.
For the first time in his career at Sonoma (nine starts), Kyle Larson starts outside the top five. He qualified 16th after failing to make the final round.
Kevin Harvick qualified 21st in his final start at the California circuit — home state.
Driving the No. 42 Chevrolet for Legacy Motor Club, Grant Enfinger qualified 35th for his Cup Series debut.
There will be 36 drivers who take the green flag in Sunday’s race.