Matt Kenseth has never been considered a great qualifier, but on a fast Kansas Speedway oval due to a recent repave and where the track record had already fallen twice, it was Kenseth who came out ahead in qualifying for Sunday’s STP 400 with a lap of 191.864 mph.
NASCAR Kansas 2013 qualifying results: Kenseth speeds to pole; Gordon wrecks
Matt Kenseth set a new track record in winning the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR race, while Jeff Gordon will start last due to a hard crash.
Jamie Squire
“It’s probably the fastest track we go to all year,” Kenseth said. “I just wasn’t really expecting it. ... To run that kind of lap felt good. You’re the second-to-last car to go out and then go out and jump over top of them guys was pretty fun.”
Having joined Joe Gibbs Racing in the offseason, Kenseth toppled a pair of former Roush Fenway Racing teammates in Carl Edwards and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to win just his ninth career pole in what will be his 480th Sprint Cup Series start.
Edwards, from nearby Columbia, Mo., is looking to win his first race at the place he considers his home track. While he we was disappointed not to score the pole, he is already looking ahead to Sunday and is optimistic about his chances.
“Man, I really wanted to be on the pole,” Edwards said. “This car is fast. ... This is a cool track. To win here would be huge.
“I just want to win this race. That’s it.”
The qualifying session was marred by a hard wreck when Jeff Gordon’s car broke loose and back into the Turn 2 wall. He was uninjured in the incident, but the four-time Cup champion will have to start 43rd -- the worst starting position of his career.
“For a second I thought I was going to save it,” Gordon said. “I lit the tires up to keep it from hitting too hard and now we have a car and an engine that are pretty much done. It’s been a while since I wrecked qualifying.”
Joe Nemechek was the only driver who failed to qualify.
Complete STP 400 Starting Lineup at Kansas Speedway:
1.) Matt Kenseth
2.) Carl Edwards
3.) Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
4.) Sam Hornish Jr.
5.) Kyle Busch
6.) Aric Almirola
7.) Martin Truex Jr.
8.) Mark Martin
9.) Ryan Newman
10.) Clint Bowyer
11.) Greg Biffle
12.) Paul Menard
13.) Kurt Busch
14.) Jamie McMurray
15.) Marcos Ambrose
16.) Brian Vickers
17.) Kevin Harvick
18.) Tony Stewart
19.) Juan Pablo Montoya
20.) Jeff Burton
21.) Jimmie Johnson
22.) Joey Logano
23.) Dale Earnhardt Jr.
24.) Elliott Sadler
25.) Danica Patrick
26.) David Ragan
27.) Kasey Kahne
28.) David Gilliland
29.) Michael McDowell
30.) Casey Mears
31.) David Reutimann
32.) Travis Kvapil
33.) Brad Keselowski
34.) Bobby Labonte
35.) Mike Bliss
36.) Josh Wise
37.) Timmy Hill
38.) David Stremme
39.) Landon Cassill
40.) J.J. Yeley
41.) Regan Smith
42.) Dave Blaney
43.) Jeff Gordon
DNQ: Joe Nemechek
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