bigbadbrother
09-06-2014, 02:45 AM
Tom Jensen
Richmond, Va. —
Team Penske continued to show its qualifying prowess Friday at Richmond International Raceway, where Brad Keselowski won the pole for Saturday night's Federated Auto Parts 400, the 26th and final race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
Keselowski, the 2012 Sprint Cup champion, took the pole with a lap of 126.618 miles per hour in his No. 2 Penske Racing Ford. Four-time Cup champ Jeff Gordon was second at 126.039 mph in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
It was the seventh pole of Keselowski's career, and the fourth this year. All told, it secured Keselowski's 11th front-row start this season, as NASCAR's new-for-2014 qualifying format clearly agrees with both the driver and the team. And Keselowski will be looking to win his fourth race of the season Saturday night and break a five-way tie among drivers with three race victories.
"I don't know how many races I have run here at Richmond on the Cup level but this is by far the best car I have had and I feel we have a really strong shot of winning this weekend," said Keselowski. "I am very excited about that. Everyone says they are excited but when you sit on the pole and have a fast practice you have real reason to be excited."
Gordon, too, was pleased with his effort after struggling with a new tire combination in practice earlier.
"I feel like we have a race car that can compete with those guys," Gordon said of Keselowski. "We'll just go out there and try to make it happen tomorrow night."
Starting on Row 2 Saturday night will be six-time champ Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick, with Joey Logano and Clint Bowyer on Row 3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Larson, Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards completed the top 10 ahead of Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman.
The six drivers in the first three rows have combined to win 14 of the first 25 Sprint Cup races this season.
Fourteen drivers have already clinched spots in the 10-race, season-ending Chase for the Sprint Cup and two more will lock themselves in tomorrow night.
Greg Biffle, currently the last driver on the Chase bubble, qualified 17th, six positions behind Newman, who is in the 15th Chase slot right now. Bowyer (sixth) and Larson (eighth) are the only drivers who can knock out Biffle or Newman on points. A total of 15 other drivers can race their way into the Chase, but only with a race victory.
"I'm fairly optimistic," said Bowyer, who has two race victories here. "This is a fun race track and a good race track for me and we're going to hopefully have a good night."
The session consisted of two rounds, with the full in the opening 30-minute round and the fastest 12 from there advancing to the final session.
Prominent drivers who failed to make the cut included Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Danica Patrick (13th) and Tony Stewart (19th), as well as Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was 24th.
The only driver who failed to qualify was Clay Rogers, who was attempting to make his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start. David Ragan and Ryan Truex failed to make a lap in the qualifying session due inspection issues, but made Saturday night's race based on owner points.
Federated Auto Parts 400
Qualifying
Pos Driver Car # Make Qual. Speed
1 Brad Keselowski 2 Ford 126.618
2 Jeff Gordon 24 Chevrolet 126.039
3 Jimmie Johnson 48 Chevrolet 125.898
4 Kevin Harvick 4 Chevrolet 125.857
5 Joey Logano 22 Ford 125.663
6 Clint Bowyer 15 Toyota 125.634
7 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 17 Ford 125.476
8 Kyle Larson 42 Chevrolet 125.081
9 Kurt Busch 41 Chevrolet 124.913
10 Carl Edwards 99 Ford 124.665
11 Denny Hamlin 11 Toyota 124.562
12 Ryan Newman 31 Chevrolet 124.464
13 Danica Patrick 10 Chevrolet 124.832
14 Paul Menard 27 Chevrolet 124.694
15 Jamie McMurray 1 Chevrolet 124.694
16 Matt Kenseth 20 Toyota 124.619
17 Greg Biffle 16 Ford 124.573
18 Brian Vickers 55 Toyota 124.493
19 Tony Stewart 14 Chevrolet 124.424
20 Kyle Busch 18 Toyota 124.390
21 Kasey Kahne 5 Chevrolet 124.349
22 Casey Mears 13 Chevrolet 124.309
23 AJ Allmendinger 47 Chevrolet 124.275
24 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 88 Chevrolet 124.269
25 Alex Bowman 23 Toyota 124.252
26 Aric Almirola 43 Ford 124.224
27 Justin Allgaier 51 Chevrolet 124.212
28 Austin Dillon 3 Chevrolet 124.007
29 Martin Truex Jr. 78 Chevrolet 123.887
30 David Gilliland 38 Ford 123.785
31 David Stremme 33 Chevrolet 123.717
32 Reed Sorenson 36 Chevrolet 123.683
33 Marcos Ambrose 9 Ford 123.440
34 Landon Cassill 40 Chevrolet 123.389
35 Cole Whitt 26 Toyota 123.350
36 Josh Wise 98 Chevrolet 123.271
37 Travis Kvapil 32 Ford 123.226
38 J.J. Yeley 93 Toyota 123.164
39 Mike Bliss 37 Chevrolet 122.371
40 Michael Annett 7 Chevrolet 122.255
41 Joe Nemechek 66 Toyota 121.764
42 David Ragan 34 Ford Exemption
43 Ryan Truex 83 Toyota Exemption
44 Clay Rogers 175 Chevrolet DNQ
Richmond, Va. —
Team Penske continued to show its qualifying prowess Friday at Richmond International Raceway, where Brad Keselowski won the pole for Saturday night's Federated Auto Parts 400, the 26th and final race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
Keselowski, the 2012 Sprint Cup champion, took the pole with a lap of 126.618 miles per hour in his No. 2 Penske Racing Ford. Four-time Cup champ Jeff Gordon was second at 126.039 mph in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
It was the seventh pole of Keselowski's career, and the fourth this year. All told, it secured Keselowski's 11th front-row start this season, as NASCAR's new-for-2014 qualifying format clearly agrees with both the driver and the team. And Keselowski will be looking to win his fourth race of the season Saturday night and break a five-way tie among drivers with three race victories.
"I don't know how many races I have run here at Richmond on the Cup level but this is by far the best car I have had and I feel we have a really strong shot of winning this weekend," said Keselowski. "I am very excited about that. Everyone says they are excited but when you sit on the pole and have a fast practice you have real reason to be excited."
Gordon, too, was pleased with his effort after struggling with a new tire combination in practice earlier.
"I feel like we have a race car that can compete with those guys," Gordon said of Keselowski. "We'll just go out there and try to make it happen tomorrow night."
Starting on Row 2 Saturday night will be six-time champ Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick, with Joey Logano and Clint Bowyer on Row 3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Larson, Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards completed the top 10 ahead of Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman.
The six drivers in the first three rows have combined to win 14 of the first 25 Sprint Cup races this season.
Fourteen drivers have already clinched spots in the 10-race, season-ending Chase for the Sprint Cup and two more will lock themselves in tomorrow night.
Greg Biffle, currently the last driver on the Chase bubble, qualified 17th, six positions behind Newman, who is in the 15th Chase slot right now. Bowyer (sixth) and Larson (eighth) are the only drivers who can knock out Biffle or Newman on points. A total of 15 other drivers can race their way into the Chase, but only with a race victory.
"I'm fairly optimistic," said Bowyer, who has two race victories here. "This is a fun race track and a good race track for me and we're going to hopefully have a good night."
The session consisted of two rounds, with the full in the opening 30-minute round and the fastest 12 from there advancing to the final session.
Prominent drivers who failed to make the cut included Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Danica Patrick (13th) and Tony Stewart (19th), as well as Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was 24th.
The only driver who failed to qualify was Clay Rogers, who was attempting to make his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start. David Ragan and Ryan Truex failed to make a lap in the qualifying session due inspection issues, but made Saturday night's race based on owner points.
Federated Auto Parts 400
Qualifying
Pos Driver Car # Make Qual. Speed
1 Brad Keselowski 2 Ford 126.618
2 Jeff Gordon 24 Chevrolet 126.039
3 Jimmie Johnson 48 Chevrolet 125.898
4 Kevin Harvick 4 Chevrolet 125.857
5 Joey Logano 22 Ford 125.663
6 Clint Bowyer 15 Toyota 125.634
7 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 17 Ford 125.476
8 Kyle Larson 42 Chevrolet 125.081
9 Kurt Busch 41 Chevrolet 124.913
10 Carl Edwards 99 Ford 124.665
11 Denny Hamlin 11 Toyota 124.562
12 Ryan Newman 31 Chevrolet 124.464
13 Danica Patrick 10 Chevrolet 124.832
14 Paul Menard 27 Chevrolet 124.694
15 Jamie McMurray 1 Chevrolet 124.694
16 Matt Kenseth 20 Toyota 124.619
17 Greg Biffle 16 Ford 124.573
18 Brian Vickers 55 Toyota 124.493
19 Tony Stewart 14 Chevrolet 124.424
20 Kyle Busch 18 Toyota 124.390
21 Kasey Kahne 5 Chevrolet 124.349
22 Casey Mears 13 Chevrolet 124.309
23 AJ Allmendinger 47 Chevrolet 124.275
24 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 88 Chevrolet 124.269
25 Alex Bowman 23 Toyota 124.252
26 Aric Almirola 43 Ford 124.224
27 Justin Allgaier 51 Chevrolet 124.212
28 Austin Dillon 3 Chevrolet 124.007
29 Martin Truex Jr. 78 Chevrolet 123.887
30 David Gilliland 38 Ford 123.785
31 David Stremme 33 Chevrolet 123.717
32 Reed Sorenson 36 Chevrolet 123.683
33 Marcos Ambrose 9 Ford 123.440
34 Landon Cassill 40 Chevrolet 123.389
35 Cole Whitt 26 Toyota 123.350
36 Josh Wise 98 Chevrolet 123.271
37 Travis Kvapil 32 Ford 123.226
38 J.J. Yeley 93 Toyota 123.164
39 Mike Bliss 37 Chevrolet 122.371
40 Michael Annett 7 Chevrolet 122.255
41 Joe Nemechek 66 Toyota 121.764
42 David Ragan 34 Ford Exemption
43 Ryan Truex 83 Toyota Exemption
44 Clay Rogers 175 Chevrolet DNQ