Defending Cup champion Joey Logano wins pole in Las Vegas

By MARK ANDERSON
AP Sports Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, who won the October race at Las Vegas, won the pole Saturday for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400.

Logano qualified at 186.053 mph the Team Penske No. 22 Ford. He has won three of his past eight Cup races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“It really handled well, and obviously it’s got really good speed,” Logano said. “You hope you make the right adjustments and right changes from the fall over to here. Some of them were pretty good then, but you’ve got to keep evolving and try things, and it gets a little nerve-wracking when you try to make these changes that you’re married to.

“Hopefully, that transfers to the race tomorrow. I think it will.”

William Byron, in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet, qualified second at 185.153 mph.

The rest of the top five were Ryan Blaney in the Penske No. 12 Ford (184.9), rookie Ty Gibbs in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Toyota (184.54) and Kyle Busch in the Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Chevy (184.489).

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