NASCAR Texas: Matt Kenseth on pole, Tony Stewart sets record
Matt Kenseth survived a gaggle of late challenges to secure pole position for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway
Tony Stewart stole the show earlier in the session as he became the first driver to post a qualifying lap over 200mph on a 1.5-mile track when he completed a 200.111 mph run, although he was unable to match the speed in the final run-off to pole.
That left the door open for Kenseth, who established himself at the top with a 199.299 mph effort that several drivers came within a breath of matching, although all fell short.
Jeff Gordon was closest of all, the Hendrick driver's 199.291 mph run setting him up for a front row start, with Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch to slot in just behind them.
Stewart was left to settle for the outside of the third row alongside Kevin Harvick, who will be seeking to lift himself out of last place among the eight remaining Chase contenders.
Harvick's cause received an early lift when Brad Keselowski struggled for pace and found himself stranded down in 26th, the Penske driver alone amongst the Chase drivers in being a casualty of the first qualifying round.
Of the other championship protagonists, Ryan Newman will line up seventh, Joey Logano 10th, Carl Edwards 11th and Denny Hamlin 20th.
Pos | Driver | Team | Car | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Matt Kenseth | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 27.095s | - |
2 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.096s | 0.001s |
3 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.138s | 0.043s |
4 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 27.148s | 0.053s |
5 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 27.158s | 0.063s |
6 | Tony Stewart | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 27.203s | 0.108s |
7 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.204s | 0.109s |
8 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet | 27.218s | 0.123s |
9 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 27.227s | 0.132s |
10 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 27.263s | 0.168s |
11 | Carl Edwards | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 27.267s | 0.172s |
12 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.308s | 0.213s |
13 | Brian Vickers | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 27.184s | - |
14 | Kasey Kahne | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.186s | - |
15 | Paul Menard | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.202s | - |
16 | Marcos Ambrose | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford | 27.205s | - |
17 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 27.224s | - |
18 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 27.230s | - |
19 | Greg Biffle | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 27.255s | - |
20 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 27.304s | - |
21 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 27.307s | - |
22 | Aric Almirola | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford | 27.345s | - |
23 | A.J. Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 27.399s | - |
24 | Clint Bowyer | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 27.452s | - |
25 | Trevor Bayne | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 27.332s | - |
26 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 27.386s | - |
27 | Danica Patrick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 27.436s | - |
28 | Michael McDowell | Leavine Family Racing | Ford | 27.455s | - |
29 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.462s | - |
30 | Justin Allgaier | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.497s | - |
31 | David Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 27.500s | - |
32 | Reed Sorenson | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Chevrolet | 27.553s | - |
33 | Michael Annett | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Chevrolet | 27.586s | - |
34 | Landon Cassill | Circle Sport | Chevrolet | 27.587s | - |
35 | Alex Bowman | BK Racing | Toyota | 27.599s | - |
36 | Josh Wise | Phil Parsons Racing | Chevrolet | 27.621s | - |
37 | David Ragan | Front Row Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.629s | - |
38 | Casey Mears | Germain Racing | Chevrolet | 27.637s | - |
39 | J.J. Yeley | BK Racing | Toyota | 27.821s | - |
40 | Cole Whitt | Swan Racing | Toyota | 27.998s | - |
41 | Brett Moffitt | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 28.013s | - |
42 | Timmy Hill | Circle Sport | Chevrolet | 28.114s | - |
43 | Joey Gase | Go FAS Racing | Ford | 28.476s | - |
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