Chariots of fire.
For four of NASCAR's finest, Sunday's race at Phoenix Motor Speedway could prove life-changing.
LIVE: Updates, highlights from NASCAR championship race at Phoenix
The Cup Series Championship, hosted on the sun-scorched asphalt of "The Desert Oddball", offers a few gifted racers the opportunity to secure their place in the annals of NASCAR history.
It tends to be an exciting affair, namely because it truly is winner-take-all. Stage points don't matter. Neither do moral victories. Whichever playoff driver finishes highest takes the Cup Series crown. Every one else? Competing for second-best.
Between Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, William Byron and Kyle Larson, this year's championship field contains the winners of 15 different races. Sweet No. 16 could prove to be the most valuable one yet. And it all starts on Saturday with qualifying results.
MORE: Watch NASCAR at Phoenix live with Fubo (free trial)
With that, here's what you need to know about the pole and starting lineup for this year's season finale, the Cup Series Championship.
Who won the pole for Phoenix in 2023?
William Byron took the pole for Sunday's race, blazing past the rest of the field with the fastest lap time in qualifying. He outpaced Martin Truex Jr., who will join him in the front row. It's the 12th career pole and fourth of the season for Byron.
NASCAR at Phoenix starting lineup 2023
Leading the field for Sunday night's race are William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. Below is the rest of the starting lineup for the race:
| Starting pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Byron (P) | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 3 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 4 | Kyle Larson (P) | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 5 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 6 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | 23XI Racing |
| 7 | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 8 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 9 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing |
| 10 | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing |
| 11 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 12 | Ryan Preece | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 13 | Christopher Bell (P) | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 14 | Todd Gilliland | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 15 | Ryan Blaney (P) | 12 | Team Penske |
| 16 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 17 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 19 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 20 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 21 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 22 | Carson Hocevar | 42 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 23 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 24 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 25 | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 26 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 27 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske |
| 28 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 29 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 30 | Ryan Newman | 51 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 31 | Cole Custer | 6 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing |
| 32 | A.J. Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
| 33 | Ty Dillon | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 34 | J.J. Yeley | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 35 | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing |
| 36 | B.J. McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
(P) = Playoff driver