After just four qualifying sessions were canceled across the 2024 and 2025 NASCAR Cup Series seasons combined, nine have already been canceled in 2026, and that number includes four in the first six weeks of the 10-race Chase postseason.
Qualifying for Sunday’s Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway is scheduled to take place on Saturday at 2:35 p.m. local time (5:35 p.m. ET), following practice at 1:30 p.m. PT (4:30 p.m. ET).
But according to AccuWeather, there is a 55% chance of “thick cloud cover with a thunderstorm in spots in the afternoon” in Avondale, Arizona.
In other words, the Cup Series might very well see its fifth qualifying session canceled since the month of September began.
If qualifying does get canceled for the 10th time this year, the qualifying metric would set the full 37-car starting lineup for Sunday’s 312-lap race around the four-turn, 1.022-mile (1.645-kilometer) Avondale oval. The metric is based 30% on the owner standings and 70% on the results of the most recent race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Note that, unlike when it comes to playoff qualifying orders, playoff drivers and non-playoff drivers are not factored in separately, so despite always occupying the bottom 16 spots in the qualifying order, playoff drivers are not guaranteed to start in the top 16 when qualifying is canceled.
Here’s what the Freeway Insurance 500 starting lineup would look like if Saturday’s qualifying session is canceled.
NASCAR starting lineup at Phoenix if qualifying is canceled again
Order
Driver
1
Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
3
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
4
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
5
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
7
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
8
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
9
Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
10
Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
11
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
12
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
13
Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
14
Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
15
Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
16
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
17
Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota
18
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
19
Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
20
Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
21
Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
22
Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
23
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet
24
Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
25
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
26
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
27
A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
28
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
29
Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
30
Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet
31
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
32
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
33
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
34
Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
35
Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
36
John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
37
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
USA Network’s live coverage of Sunday afternoon’s Freeway Insurance 500 is set to begin at 3:00 p.m. ET. Don’t miss any of the action playoff race number seven of 10 on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule from Phoenix Raceway!
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