Search

Kyle Busch will start the Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts from the pole Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway after setting a new track qualifying record Friday.

NASCAR shortened the qualifying format from three rounds to two because of severe weather. In the second round, Busch posted his best lap of 190.282 mph in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Busch won the inaugural Quaker State 400 from the pole in 2011 and won the race again in 2015.

“We certainly feel as though we have a really good Camry,” said Busch, who earlier Friday also won the pole for the XFINITY Series’ Alsco 300. “The thing has been fast since we unloaded it. The guys have done a good job being able to work on the car and make adjustments the right way to be able to keep the speed in it.”

Four of the top five starting spots went to Toyotas.

Martin Truex Jr. will start alongside Busch in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota after posting a 190.194 mph lap. It’s the fifth time this season that Truex has qualified second.

“We definitely wanted another crack at it,” he said. “I definitely left some out there in round two….We’ll get our pole soon and we’ll go get them tomorrow night.”

Filling out the top five starting spots Saturday will be 2013 Quaker State 400 winner Matt Kenseth (189.740 mph), Jamie McMurray (189.713 mph) and Denny Hamlin (189.687 mph). The race is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.

Twelve drivers went faster than the series’ track qualifying record of 188.791 mph set by Brad Keselowski in 2014. The three-time and defending race winner, Keselowski qualified 10th in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford. Speeds are up because Kentucky Speedway received a fresh layer of asphalt over the offseason.

Kyle Larson had the fastest car in final practice but got hung up in pre-qualifying inspection and never made it onto the track for qualifying. He will start 40th in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

Saturday will be a long one for Busch, who has won seven races across four different divisions at Kentucky Speedway, and several other Cup drivers also entered in the XFINITY Series race. That race was scheduled for Friday but was postponed to noon Saturday because of weather.

The Alsco 300 is 200 laps for 300 miles and the Quaker State 400 is 267 laps for 400.5 miles.

“It’s going to be tough, for sure,” Busch said. “I’m not exactly sure how to handle it yet. It’s certainly not the circumstances I would have liked to have been in but we’ve got what we’ve got, so I’ll try to prepare as best as I can tonight and get as many fluids as I can tonight and then make sure that you keep drinking and keep the fluids going tomorrow. It’s just a matter of making sure you don’t get yourself too dehydrated and start to cramp up and things like that.

“It’s going to make for a long day for sure.”

Tickets for both the Quaker State 400 and the Alsco 300 will be honored Saturday. Gates open at 10 a.m. In the event of a seating conflict, Quaker State 400 ticket holders will have priority for seating assignments. All Alsco 300 tickets will be honored until 3 p.m.

source – track communications

This function has been disabled for CheckersToWreckers.com.