NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500 Watch FREE Live Stream Online & Listen: Live Coverage STARTING GRID

Today at 3:00 p.m. ET on ESPN the NASCAR Sprint Cup Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500 will kick off from Phoenix International Raceway with Denny Hamlin sitting the pole. Live stream the race free by clicking this link.

With several racers vying for a shot to win the Sprint Cup next week in Miami, Hamlin took the pole and expects to race aggressively all day long.

"I think the competition level is just too close and tight to be able to think you are going to coast to an 11th-place finish," Hamlin said. "You've got to go all-out on every single lap. We have to go out there and perform on a high level or else we aren't going to make it. There are too many other cars for us to think that we are just going to ride around and take a spot."

Behind him, rivals Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick will start in second and third position, respectively. Two weeks ago Harvick jumped Keselowski after the race, and just last week Jeff Gordon attacked Keselowski for some of his tactics on the track.

Neither was in the mood to discuss the off-track issues, choosing instead to focus on the task at hand. "This is a good track for us to come to, confidence wise," said Harvick. "We'll see how the weekend plays out. You are either going to hit a walk-off, or just race next week."

Keselowski also kept his comments based on racing. "I know I probably need to win the race," Keselowski said. "Technically, I don't have to win this race, but the probabilities are that I do. You know if you win, you're in, and that's the great thing about this system and we have a great shot at it, for sure."

Starting Grid