Kurt Busch has found a qualifying methodology that works—even if it’s a bit unconventional.
Busch won the pole for Sunday’s 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway after spinning his No. 22 Dodge in Friday’s practice and doing enough damage to force the use of a backup car.
With only 10 laps of practice time on the backup, Busch toured the 2.5-mile triangular track in 52.454 seconds (171.579 mph) in Saturday’s time trials to win his second consecutive Coors Light pole award and the 14th of his career. NASCAR.com
“Just an honest thank you to my guys,” Busch said.
Busch was impressed that Penske could produce a pole-winning backup car.
“That’s something you really wouldn’t hear about back in the day,” he said. “It would be, ‘All right, you’ll have to struggle during the weekend.’” The Associated Press
Paul Menard’s lap of 171.422 m.p.h. earned him the outside pole.
Jeff Gordon, a four-time Pocono race winner, qualified third, followed by Denny Hamlin, who also has four wins here, and Regan Smith.
POS CAR DRIVER MAKE 1 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 2 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 3 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 4 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 5 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 6 99 Carl Edwards Ford 7 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 8 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 9 0 David Reutimann Toyota 10 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 11 6 David Ragan Ford 12 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 13 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 14 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 15 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 16 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 17 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 18 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 19 20 Joey Logano Toyota 20 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 21 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 22 46 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet 23 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 24 71 Andy Lally* Ford 25 51 Landon Cassill Chevrolet 26 38 Sam Hornish Jr. Ford 27 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 28 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 29 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 30 34 David Gilliland Ford 31 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 32 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 33 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 34 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 35 13 Casey Mears Toyota 36 66 Michael McDowell Toyota 37 16 Greg Biffle Ford 38 37 Tony Raines Ford 39 181 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 40 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 41 32 Mike Bliss Ford 42 7 Scott Wimmer+ Dodge 43 150 T.J. Bell* Toyota
| 
|