The scorched thoroughfares that line the Valley of the Sun have served as an effective platform for Cup Series exploits over the past three decades. Phoenix Raceway, the home of the Cup Series Championship race, is a spitfire — one mile of asphalt, color and fury.
It has borne witness to a number of NASCAR greats past and present, be that Alan Kulwicki, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Kevin Harvick or Jimmie Johnson.
Last year, a pair of Cup Series standouts hoisted gold beneath a plume of beer and confetti. Joe Gibbs Racing star Christopher Bell took home the spring race title, besting Chris Buescher by nearly six seconds to capture the Shriners Children’s 500 prize. Team Penske supernova Joey Logano did him one better a few months later, outpacing teammate Ryan Blaney to nab the checkered flag — and with it, his third Cup Series title — in November.
Both figure to be competitive in the latest iteration of Phoenix’s spring race. Bell has been on a tear as of late, nabbing back-to-back wins at Atlanta and COTA, two wildly different surfaces. If he can claim victory on Sunday, he’ll become the first Cup Series jockey to win three races on the bounce since Kyle Larson in 2021.
Logano, meanwhile, has endured a bit of a quieter start, failing to record a top-10 finish in any of his opening three races. But his reputation at Phoenix precedes him — he has four wins and nine top-five finishes across the singed surface. Could another strong showing be in store come Sunday?
With that, here’s what you need to know about the pole-sitter and starting grid for the 2025 Shriners Children’s 500.
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Who won the Shriners Children’s 500 pole for 2025?
William Byron captured the pole on Saturday afternoon, posting a scorching 133.680 mph lap speed to outpace Team Penske star Joey Logano. Byron has enjoyed an impressive 2025 thus far, winning at Daytona and placing second at COTA. He kept the good times going on Saturday, taking home his 14th career pole. He looks well-equipped to impress once more in the Valley of the Sun, a place where he’s fared well in the past.
Shriners Children’s 500 starting lineup 2025
| Starting pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1. | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2. | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 3. | Carson Hocevar | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 4. | Josh Berry | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 5. | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 6. | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 7. | Michael McDowell | 71 | Spire Motorsports |
| 8. | Justin Haley | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 9. | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing |
| 10. | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 11. | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 12. | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 13. | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing |
| 14. | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske |
| 15. | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 16. | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
| 17. | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 18. | Riley Herbst | 35 | 23XI Racing |
| 19. | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 20. | Brad Keselowski | 6 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing |
| 21. | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 22. | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | Hyak Motorsports |
| 23. | Cole Custer | 41 | Haas Factory Team |
| 24. | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 25. | Ty Dillon | 10 | Kaulig Racing |
| 26. | Zane Smith | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 27. | Todd Gilliland | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 28. | Ryan Preece | 60 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing |
| 29. | Shane van Gisbergen | 88 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 30. | Chase Briscoe | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 31. | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 32. | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 33. | Noah Gragson | 4 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 34. | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 35. | Cody Ware | 51 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 36. | John Hunter Nemechek | 42 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 37. | Katherine Legge | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
