Rain gives Kyle Busch pole for NASCAR Sprint Cup's first Kentucky race
Rain forced qualifying to be cancelled at Kentucky Speedway, giving Kyle Busch pole for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' inaugural event at the track after he was fastest in practice
Qualifying was underway and 22 out of 48 cars had already completed their runs when rain caused the session to be halted. Although the rain stopped temporarily, it would later return forcing officials to cancel the session.
According to the new NASCAR rules, times from official practice determined the starting order for Saturday night's event. Joe Gibbs Racing Kyle Busch had been fastest in the open test day on Thursday before claiming victory in the Truck series race later in the evening, but it was his quickest lap from Friday's lone official practice session which placed him on pole for the first time this season.
Earnhardt Ganassi's Juan Pablo Montoya will line up second, while Penske's Kurt Busch and Red Bull's Kasey Kahne will start from the second row of the grid. Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson, who was fastest in the first unofficial practice on Thursday, will get fifth.
Carl Edwards was the fastest Ford in practice and will see the green flag wave from seventh on the grid, beside last weekend's race winner, his Roush Fenway team-mate David Ragan.
Three-time Kentucky Nationwide Series winner Joey Logano will start 15th, while points leader Kevin Harvick will line up 19th. Brian Vickers and Mark Martin where first and second when the session was stopped and they will line up side-by-side on the 14th row of the grid.
Joe Nemechek was the fastest of the non-guaranteed drivers in practice and will start from 31st. Local hero Michael Waltrip had already locked himself in the field on speed but given that he had only made two previous qualifying attempts this year, he lost his automatic place in the field.
Robby Gordon (driving the #77 car), David Starr, TJ Bell and David Stremme also failed to qualify.
Pos Driver Team/Car
1. Kyle Busch Gibbs Toyota
2. Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet
3. Kurt Busch Penske Dodge
4. Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
5. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Chevrolet
6. Brad Keselowski Penske Dodge
7. Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Ford
8. David Ragan Roush Fenway Ford
9. Tony Stewart Stewart Haas Chevrolet
10. Paul Menard Childress Chevrolet
11. Marcos Ambrose Petty Ford
12. Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet
13. Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Ford
14. Jeff Gordon Hendrick Chevrolet
15. Joey Logano Gibbs Toyota
16. Martin Truex Jr Waltrip Toyota
17. David Reutimann Waltrip Toyota
18. Ryan Newman Stewart Haas Chevrolet
19. Kevin Harvick Childress Chevrolet
20. Clint Bowyer Childress Chevrolet
21. Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Ford
22. Jeff Burton Childress Chevrolet
23. AJ Allmendinger Petty Ford
24. Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Toyota
25. Casey Mears Germain Toyota
26. Denny Hamlin Gibbs Toyota
27. Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
28. Mark Martin Hendrick Chevrolet
29. Dale Earnhardt Jr Hendrick Chevrolet
30. Landon Cassill Phoenix Chevrolet
31. Joe Nemechek NEMCO Toyota
32. Dave Blaney Baldwin Chevrolet
33. Mike Skinner Germain Toyota
34. Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet
35. David Gilliland Front Row Ford
36. JJ Yeley Whitney Chevrolet
37. Travis Kvapil Front Row Ford
38. Michael McDowell HP Toyota
39. Andy Lally TRG Chevrolet
40. Scott Riggs Whitney Chevrolet
41. Tony Raines Front Row Ford
42. Mike Bliss FAS Lane Ford
43. Scott Wimmer Gordon Dodge
Did not qualify:
David Stremme Inception Chevrolet
Michael Waltrip Waltrip Toyota
TJ Bell LTD Toyota
David Starr Leavine Ford
Robby Gordon Gordon Dodge
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