The latest auto news, reviews, prices, product and vehicle releases. Oct
5th
Stay connected Subscribe to our RSS feed
Kevin Harvick found himself in unfamiliar territory in Kansas on Friday. The 13-year Sprint Cup veteran won the pole, in a Chevy at 187.526mph, his first pole since September 2006 in New Hampshire, 254 races previously.
High winds ahead of a storm forecast made picking a qualifying set up at the one and one-half mile oval tricky.
Harvick explained it was difficult for his RCR team to adjust for the weather “because this is a new generation tire for us and has kind of thrown us all for a little bit of a curve ball as to what we need in the car and what we're feeling and how we're feeling it. I think we just have to wait and see what we get in practice tomorrow (Saturday) and then work from there.”
Teams had tested the new multi-zone Goodyear tire for over three hours on Thursday but they still felt that they had not mastered the novel design.
Ricky Stenhouse, in a Ford, was second fastest in at 187.840 mph. “It was not quite good enough, but, our average start here at Kansas is going to be pretty solid now.”
Jimmie Johnson, currently second in the points was third fastest at 187.162 mph overcoming a spin in practice with no damage to his Chevy. So he was mildly pleased and especially because he out qualified points leader Matt Kenseth who will start seventh.
Brad Keselowski (186.233 mph), Joey Logano (186.168 mph) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (186.072 mph) took positions four through six.
Harvick is in his last year with Richard Childress Racing and determined to win a Sprint Cup title before he leaves. "We're three races into the Chase, and it is what it is. We've done our thing and put ourselves in position to just go out and race and enjoy it," he said.
In addition to Harvick, Johnson, Logano, Earnhardt, Kenseth, all Chase drivers qualified as follows: Carl Edwards, ninth; Jeff Gordon, 14th; Kasey Kahne, 15th; Ryan Newman, 17th; Kurt Busch, 18th Kyle Busch 19th; Clint Bowyer, 22nd; and Greg Biffle, 26th.
High winds ahead of a storm forecast made picking a qualifying set up at the one and one-half mile oval tricky.
Harvick explained it was difficult for his RCR team to adjust for the weather “because this is a new generation tire for us and has kind of thrown us all for a little bit of a curve ball as to what we need in the car and what we're feeling and how we're feeling it. I think we just have to wait and see what we get in practice tomorrow (Saturday) and then work from there.”
Teams had tested the new multi-zone Goodyear tire for over three hours on Thursday but they still felt that they had not mastered the novel design.
Ricky Stenhouse, in a Ford, was second fastest in at 187.840 mph. “It was not quite good enough, but, our average start here at Kansas is going to be pretty solid now.”
 |
| Photo: kevinharvick.com |
Jimmie Johnson, currently second in the points was third fastest at 187.162 mph overcoming a spin in practice with no damage to his Chevy. So he was mildly pleased and especially because he out qualified points leader Matt Kenseth who will start seventh.
Brad Keselowski (186.233 mph), Joey Logano (186.168 mph) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (186.072 mph) took positions four through six.
Harvick is in his last year with Richard Childress Racing and determined to win a Sprint Cup title before he leaves. "We're three races into the Chase, and it is what it is. We've done our thing and put ourselves in position to just go out and race and enjoy it," he said.
In addition to Harvick, Johnson, Logano, Earnhardt, Kenseth, all Chase drivers qualified as follows: Carl Edwards, ninth; Jeff Gordon, 14th; Kasey Kahne, 15th; Ryan Newman, 17th; Kurt Busch, 18th Kyle Busch 19th; Clint Bowyer, 22nd; and Greg Biffle, 26th.