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Keselowski sets qualifying record at Kentucky
With a track record Friday at Kentucky Speedway, Brad Keselowski became the fourth different Coors Light Pole Award winner at the 1.5-mile track in advance of Saturday night's Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts.
Turning a lap of 188.791 mph, Keselowski in his No. 2 Ford Fusion knocked Team Penske teammate Joey Logano from the top spot with under three minutes remaining in the final five-minute session. The previous track record set by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2013 at 183.636 mph was beaten by 23 drivers.
Keselowski won his third Sprint Cup pole of the season. The 30-year old has already matched his career total coming into this season. Team Penske also secured its third joint front-row start of the season. The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion also won the event in his championship season after starting eighth.
Earlier Friday, Keselowski also captured his 15th career pole in the Nationwide Series.
"The last few years we've been awful in qualifying, so Yin and Yang, it's balancing back out," Keselowski said. "It's a huge morale booster for us and we've got to make it count on race day. Qualifying is great, but on Monday nobody talks about who won the pole -- they talk about who won the race. We want to be that guy."
Logano, who paced both the first and second knockout sessions, made a last-minute effort to bump Keselowski but came up nearly two-tenths short for his fourth second starting spot of the year.
"We won the first two sessions and I'm like, 'Man, isn't it going to rain?'" Logano said. "It didn't rain and we came in second. ... We keep winning the wrong session."
Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon was third, followed by Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin and Stewart-Haas Racing's Kevin Harvick in the top five.
Despite ending up on the inside of row two for the race, Gordon was extremely satisfied with his qualifying effort.
"Oh, my gosh, you never want to be satisfied unless you are on the pole or in Victory Lane, but this sort of feels like a victory for me because that first run was not pretty," Gordon said. "I don't know the car just didn't do what I wanted it to do. That was a pretty wild session for the Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, but those last two or three runs were just so solid. That is a great place to start this race."
Kyle Larson was sixth. Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick, Clint Bowyer and Paul Menard comprised the remainder of the top 12.
Jimmie Johnson in his No. 48 Chevrolet went out late and bumped himself inside the top 24, but a rally by Carl Edwards knocked the reigning champion to 25th.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted only the 29th quickest lap overall in his No. 88 Chevrolet after three runs.
With a track record Friday at Kentucky Speedway, Brad Keselowski became the fourth different Coors Light Pole Award winner at the 1.5-mile track in advance of Saturday night's Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts.
Turning a lap of 188.791 mph, Keselowski in his No. 2 Ford Fusion knocked Team Penske teammate Joey Logano from the top spot with under three minutes remaining in the final five-minute session. The previous track record set by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2013 at 183.636 mph was beaten by 23 drivers.
Keselowski won his third Sprint Cup pole of the season. The 30-year old has already matched his career total coming into this season. Team Penske also secured its third joint front-row start of the season. The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion also won the event in his championship season after starting eighth.
Earlier Friday, Keselowski also captured his 15th career pole in the Nationwide Series.
"The last few years we've been awful in qualifying, so Yin and Yang, it's balancing back out," Keselowski said. "It's a huge morale booster for us and we've got to make it count on race day. Qualifying is great, but on Monday nobody talks about who won the pole -- they talk about who won the race. We want to be that guy."
Logano, who paced both the first and second knockout sessions, made a last-minute effort to bump Keselowski but came up nearly two-tenths short for his fourth second starting spot of the year.
"We won the first two sessions and I'm like, 'Man, isn't it going to rain?'" Logano said. "It didn't rain and we came in second. ... We keep winning the wrong session."
Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon was third, followed by Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin and Stewart-Haas Racing's Kevin Harvick in the top five.
Despite ending up on the inside of row two for the race, Gordon was extremely satisfied with his qualifying effort.
"Oh, my gosh, you never want to be satisfied unless you are on the pole or in Victory Lane, but this sort of feels like a victory for me because that first run was not pretty," Gordon said. "I don't know the car just didn't do what I wanted it to do. That was a pretty wild session for the Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, but those last two or three runs were just so solid. That is a great place to start this race."
Kyle Larson was sixth. Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick, Clint Bowyer and Paul Menard comprised the remainder of the top 12.
Jimmie Johnson in his No. 48 Chevrolet went out late and bumped himself inside the top 24, but a rally by Carl Edwards knocked the reigning champion to 25th.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted only the 29th quickest lap overall in his No. 88 Chevrolet after three runs.
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