NASCAR at Phoenix 2019 Qualifying Results: Kyle Busch Wins Pole Position

Kyle Busch earned the pole position for Sunday's Bluegreen Vacations 500 with his triumph in qualifying Saturday at ISM Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.

It's the penultimate race of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season with two berths available in the Championship 4 next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida. Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick have already clinched their opportunity to compete for the title in the finale during the Round of 8.

Here's a look at the standings, paired with where each contender will start in Sunday's race:

Rank—Driver—Points—Qualifying Finish

1. Martin Truex Jr., 4,133, 4th

2. Kevin Harvick, 4,113, 7th

3. Kyle Busch, 4,113, 1st

4. Joey Logano, 4,111, 2nd

5. Denny Hamlin, 4,091, 3rd

6. Ryan Blaney, 4,088, 10th

7. Kyle Larson, 4,088, 5th

8. Chase Elliott, 4,033, 6th

A victory by any of the drivers ranked between third and eighth in the Bluegreen Vacations 500 will guarantee them a spot in the Championship 4.

"We all know one guy is going to move through on points and we have to do whatever we have to do in order to be that guy," Kyle Busch told reporters. "If we can obviously go to Phoenix and have a strong run and be able to go out there and win that will put us through, as well."

Joey Logano, the reigning Cup Series champion, is one of the drivers on the bubble. He'd already clinched his spot in the top four when they arrived in Phoenix one year ago, so his 37th-place finish in this event last November is nothing more than a footnote in his championship story.

The 29-year-old Connecticut native will need a much better showing Sunday to keep his hopes of defending the title alive for another week.

"It's going to be a good battle, for sure," Logano said. "We're definitely racing for that last spot just in case someone behind us outside of the top four wins."

While drivers like Busch and Logano are in position to potentially earn a berth based on points, Chase Elliott is facing a must-win situation Sunday because of his large deficit in the standings.

"There's three races in every round for a reason, and you just can't let those first two weeks affect your mindset, your approach, your aggressiveness and your will to want to win in this last opportunity," he said. "Just because we're in a tough spot and it's our last chance to make it to Homestead doesn't mean it's over."

All told, watching the strategies play out in real time is the best part of elimination races. Every driver on the bubble knows a victory is their golden ticket, but those closer to the cut line won't be overly aggressive early because a points path is still available.

Add in a group of drivers hoping to fill the role of playoff spoiler and it should be an entertaining Sunday afternoon at ISM Raceway. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.