Kurt Busch Wins Vegas Pole In Hometown

The Miller Lite driver has taken the Coors Light pole.

Kurt Busch won the pole for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race on Friday afternoon, achieving a bit of glory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his hometown track.

“To come out on top with a pole, I’m stoked,” Busch said. “It feels good right now.”

Busch’s pole win was his first since 2007, and his speed of 188.719 mph was one of 18 that broke the Las Vegas track record.

The increased speeds, drivers said, were due to a new Goodyear tire combination, better cars and a cool track.

Jeff Gordon will start on the outside pole, followed by two other Hendrick-powered drivers: Ryan Newman and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Kyle Busch – who won the pole and the race last year with Steve Addington, who is now his brother’s crew chief – rounded out the top five, followed by Joey Logano, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Two drivers failed to qualify for the race: Rookie Terry Cook and Casey Mears, the former Cup regular who has yet to make the field this season.

Kurt Busch said after his lap that it was his first pole with NASCAR’s newer model car, which he credited to Addington.

The crew chief, he said, may turn out to be the missing piece for his hopes of running up front more consistently.