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14th
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The fastest in practice, Busch was the last driver to take the track on Friday afternoon. Busch zipped the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota around the 1.058-mile in 28.548 seconds (133.417 mph), followed by Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer.
It was Busch's first pole this season and his second-career at NHMS, his only other coming in September of 2008. It was his ninth pole in 276 career starts.
At first it appeared that Busch had brushed the wall, but, he denied it. “I didn't feel it, so if anything it was really, really close. I just knew that I got in the throttle really early in (turns) three and four trying to make speed and was able to finish it, but the car slipped right at the last second.
“When you get to that older asphalt, it seems like this tire is different than the older tire where you lose just a touch of grip. Slid out right to the cushion part you would say. There's no mark on the car so all is good there,” Busch said.
“We definitely had a great day, we had a fast race car right off the truck,” said Busch. “(Watching other drivers qualify) screws me up more than anything. I just tried to hit the same marks that I hit in practice and have that time - that would have given us second.”
Kahne, who has started from the front row twice previously this year (Las Vegas and Martinsville), tried to get the most out of his No. 5 Farmer's Insurance Chevrolet - especially given how tight the times were. The top eight qualifiers are within .047 seconds of one another.
“It was really close, as far as the times, everyone is really close, so you have to go for all you can get,” said Kahne. “The car felt really good and I didn't waste any time in that first turn, knowing how tight the times were. I was aggressive on the first lap.”
Hamlin echoed Kahne's thoughts.
“We were just really on the edge out there on the track,” said Hamlin. “That was all it had speed-wise - the conditions were tight.”
Mike Bliss failed to make 43-car field.
It was Busch's first pole this season and his second-career at NHMS, his only other coming in September of 2008. It was his ninth pole in 276 career starts.
At first it appeared that Busch had brushed the wall, but, he denied it. “I didn't feel it, so if anything it was really, really close. I just knew that I got in the throttle really early in (turns) three and four trying to make speed and was able to finish it, but the car slipped right at the last second.
“When you get to that older asphalt, it seems like this tire is different than the older tire where you lose just a touch of grip. Slid out right to the cushion part you would say. There's no mark on the car so all is good there,” Busch said.
“We definitely had a great day, we had a fast race car right off the truck,” said Busch. “(Watching other drivers qualify) screws me up more than anything. I just tried to hit the same marks that I hit in practice and have that time - that would have given us second.”
Kahne, who has started from the front row twice previously this year (Las Vegas and Martinsville), tried to get the most out of his No. 5 Farmer's Insurance Chevrolet - especially given how tight the times were. The top eight qualifiers are within .047 seconds of one another.
“It was really close, as far as the times, everyone is really close, so you have to go for all you can get,” said Kahne. “The car felt really good and I didn't waste any time in that first turn, knowing how tight the times were. I was aggressive on the first lap.”
Hamlin echoed Kahne's thoughts.
“We were just really on the edge out there on the track,” said Hamlin. “That was all it had speed-wise - the conditions were tight.”
Mike Bliss failed to make 43-car field.