Kyle Larson will start on the pole in Sunday’s Auto Club 400, but it’s the defending race winner, Jimmie Johnson, who was the talk of qualifying Friday at Auto Club Speedway.
NASCAR Fontana 2017 qualifying results: Kyle Larson wins Fontana pole; Jimmie Johnson sits out after crash in practice
Jimmie Johnson damaged his primary car in an incident during practice on Friday and his team chose to focus its attention on preparing the backup for Saturday’s two practices.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Johnson spun and damaged his primary car during Friday’s morning practice. The incident necessitated that the No. 48 team led by crew chief Chad Knaus switch to a backup Chevrolet, but due to the changeover, Knaus elected to sit out qualifying. Consequently, Johnson, who has won a track-record six times at the two-mile Southern California oval, will start 37th on Sunday.
“I think my record shows that I can make up plenty of spots and pass plenty of cars and we’ll just make it exciting coming from the back,” Johnson said.
Johnson was attempting to make a mock qualifying lap when he got loose between Turns 3 and 4. As he tried to avoid hitting the outside wall, the seven-time Cup Series champion looped the car down the banking and through the grass where the frontend of the car dug into the ground.
Because of how long it took to prepare his backup car, Johnson did not return to practice, and his first laps in the car would’ve come in qualifying. That prompted Knaus’s decision to skip time trials and instead focus on Saturday’s two practice sessions.
“I just felt it was wiser to get the car prepared correctly rather than qualify poorly,” Knaus said. “I wasn’t comfortable putting Jimmie in a position where he would have to hustle a car that he hasn’t turned a lap in yet.”
Johnson wasn’t the only driver who didn’t turn a lap in qualifying. Joey Logano, Trevor Bayne, Matt DiBenedetto, and Gray Gaulding failed to record a speed after their cars did not pass technical inspection in time to take part in the first qualifying round. Their starting positions are set by owner points.
Johnson and Logano are expected to contend on Sunday, but they’ll have their work cut out to catch Larson, who entered the weekend having finished second in the past three Monster Energy Cup Series races and on Friday scored his first pole position since 2014.
Larson’s lap (187.047 mph) edged Denny Hamlin, who will share the front row with the series points leader. Brad Keselowski qualified third, with Martin Truex Jr. fourth and Ryan Newman, who won a week ago at Phoenix International Raceway, in the fifth spot.
“We were quickest in practice and there in the first round, I felt like I under drove a little bit and I think we were fourth-fastest overall and then sixth the second round,” Larson said. “I had been running the bottom in (Turns) 3 and 4 and knew that I was going to have to move up for the final round and it stuck good up there and got us the pole.”
See More:
