FORT WORTH, TX – Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart recorded his first pole since 2012 as he won the pole position for Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Duck Commander 500 in the new knockout qualifying format at Texas Motor Speedway. Starting Lineup Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1 / Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) posted a lap of 195.454 miles per hour in the waning moments of the final round of knockout qualifying to unseat Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford) for the top position. The pole was the 15th of his career but first since Atlanta in 2012, ending a drought of 38 starts between poles. It was his second at Texas Motor Speedway – the other came in this event in 2010 – and this marks the seventh different pole winner in seven races this Sprint Cup Series season. Starting behind the front row of Stewart and Keselowski will be Stewart’s teammate Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet), who was third fastest at 195.298 mph, and Roush Fenway’s Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M / Give Kids A Smile Ford), fourth at 194.700 mph. Biffle’s Roush Fenway teammate Carl Edwards (No. 99 Fastenal Ford) rounded at the top five at 194.637 mph. Harvick established a new track record with a lap of 198.282 miles per hour in the first round of qualifying that also is the fastest qualifying lap ever recorded on a 1.5-mile oval in NASCAR history. The previous qualifying mark at Texas Motor Speedway was held by Kyle Busch, who recorded a lap of 196.299 mph at this event last year. Tickets for Sunday’s Duck Commander 500, which begins at 2 p.m., are available by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com or by calling (817) 215-8500. source – track communications
