BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — Ryan Blaney captured his first NASCAR Cup Series pole position since last August, bumping points leader Tyler Reddick from the top spot in qualifying Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Blaney turned a 127.064-mph lap to qualify first for the 13th time in 386 career starts. His previous pole was 19 starts ago at Watkins Glen International last season.
The Team Penske driver also started on pole at Bristol two years ago. He has led 585 laps at the track, the most of any Cup driver without a win on the 0.533-mile oval.
“Cool start to the weekend,” the 2023 Cup champion said. “Now we’ve got to do it for 500 laps. Should be fun. I think we’re going to have a handful, and everyone’s going to be like that keeping up with the racetrack.”
Reddick, who won four of the first six races this season, qualified a career-best second at Bristol, where he had started no better than 12th in nine previous starts.
“We got into Turn 3 on the money lap pretty good, and I just oversent it a little bit with a big correction,” said the 23XI Racing driver, who has 12 career wins but is seeking his first victory at a short track in NASCAR’s premier series. “I was concerned that I left some on the table there, and that’s definitely where we gave it up to (Blaney).”
Chase Briscoe qualified third, followed by Riley Herbst and Ty Gibbs as Toyotas took the four starting spots behind Blaney’s No. 12 Ford.
Ross Chastain qualified sixth but lost his choice of pit selection and had a crew member ejected because his No. 1 Chevrolet failed inspection twice. The same penalty befell Kyle Larson, who qualified eighth after his No. 5 Chevy failed inspection twice.
Alex Bowman qualified 27th in his return from missing four races with vertigo.
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
FILE - Carson Hocevar (77) leads Ryan Blaney (12), and Christopher Bell (20) Riley Herbst (35) during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race April 13, 2025, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler needed something special over the final two days to rally at the Masters.
This was certainly a start.
Scheffler matched this week's lowest score at Augusta National by shooting a 7-under 65 on Saturday as the field closed the gap on Rory McIlroy. By the time the day was over, McIlroy's six-stroke advantage was gone and he was tied for first with Cameron Young. Scheffler, who had been a dozen strokes off the lead after 36 holes, had pulled within four.
His round could have been even better, but Scheffler didn't want to hear that when asked a question to that effect.
“That’s just a terrible question,” he said. “Next question. Awful.”
Scheffler's 31 was the best front nine of his seven Masters appearances, which include two victories. After adding another birdie on No. 11, the world No. 1 had cut his 12-stroke deficit behind McIlroy in half. But he made only one birdie the rest of the way.
“I guess to answer your question — it wasn’t maybe that bad — but it definitely could have been lower,” Scheffler said. “But like I said, I did what I needed to do. Went out and executed to give myself some opportunities, and more of that tomorrow, and I think I’ll be in a good spot.”
McIlroy shot 65 on Friday to move to 12 under par, with a record six-shot lead through 36 holes over Patrick Reed and Sam Burns. Scheffler was 12 back at even par, but then he knocked his second shot to 6 feet on the par-5 second and eagled it.
His approach shots Saturday were clinical, even if he didn't always convert his opportunities on the green. Scheffler missed a 7-foot birdie putt on No. 3, then made par after hitting his tee shot into a bunker on the par-4 fifth.
He finished the front nine with birdies on Nos. 7, 8 and 9. His second shot on the par-4 ninth — from 160 yards — rolled off the lip of the hole.
Scheffler continued to give himself chances on the back. He had birdie putts from 8 feet on No. 11, 18 feet on the 12th hole, 15 feet on the 13th and 13 feet on the 14th — but only one of those went in. His birdie putt from just off the green on No. 15 stopped maybe one ball length from dropping.
“I hit it really nice today. I felt like I was very sharp with the irons,” he said. “Got it up there. Gave myself a lot of opportunities. I felt like I took advantage of those on the front nine, and then back nine I did a lot of good things. Was really, really close to seeing a lot go in.”
Finally, Scheffler made one more birdie on the par-3 16th before missing an 8-footer for birdie on the 17th. His tee shot on the final hole wound up near a tree and some bushes, but he still ended up with a tap-in par.
A great round — but perhaps not great enough. Scheffler is within four shots of the lead, but he's in a tie for seventh.
Scheffler is 2 over on Nos. 13 and 15 — the two par 5s on the back nine. McIlroy is 5 under and Young is 4 under on those holes. Young shot 65 as well Saturday.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Scottie Scheffler gives his club to his caddie on the 18th hole during the third round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Scottie Scheffler walks to his ball on the 18th hole during the third round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Scottie Scheffler walks to green on the 18th hole during the third round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Scottie Scheffler reacts after missing a putt on the third hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
