CP MOTORSPORTS - CAN HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF FOR KENSETH WITH CHARLOTTE POLE POSITION?
The last time Matt Kenseth started from the pole - he also celebrated in Victory Lane.
Kenseth laid down an average speed of 194.252 mph en route to nab his first career pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where Kenseth got his first career Sprint Cup win 15 years ago. It's the second pole of Kenseth's 2015 campaign and the 15th of his career.
The veteran admits it's a long race, but there's value to starting up front.
"Starting in the front is important," Kenseth said. "The track typically goes through a lot of changes here, especially if the sun is out at the beginning of the race and not at the end of the race. You want to have good track position, good pit selection; all of those things. So if you do get a little off and you have to chase your setup a little bit with the track changing, you have a little bit of buffer for being towards the front.
"Track position is always important, you always want to start as far forward as you can."
Front row mainstay Joey Logano recorded an average speed of 192.836, which was good enough to start in second place. Logano is happy with qualifying efforts so far this season compared to last year's qualifying results.
"I'm very proud of my team," Logano said. "Last year our weak point in qualifying was maintaining that speed throughout all three sessions. This year it seems like we don't have much speed the first session but we're getting better throughout them so I'd much rather be good in the last session it's a lot of fun to have a car that qualifies well each week."
Kenseth's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards will start third in Sunday's race. Greg Biffle qualified fourth, and Sprint All-Star Race winner Denny Hamlin qualified fifth.
Brad Keselowski, 2011 Coca-Cola 600 pole winner, will start Sunday from the sixth spot. David Ragan, who is in his third start for Michael Waltrip Racing, qualified in seventh place. Two-time Coca-Cola 600 winner Kevin Harvick will start in eighth place. Kyle Larson and Martin Truex, Jr, round out the top ten starters for Sunday's race.
Jeb Burton, Jeff Green, Mike Bliss, Travis Kvapil and Brendan Gaughan all failed to qualify for Sunday's field of 43.
Charlotte Motor Speedway
56th Annual COCA-COLA 600
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Thu, May 21, 2015 @ 08:48 PM Eastern
Driver Date Time Speed
Track Qualifying Record: Kyle Busch 10/11/14 27.357 197.39
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
Qualifying Round: 3
1 20 Matt Kenseth DeWalt Toyota 27.799 194.252 1 1 0.000 0.000
2 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 28.003 192.836 1 1 0.204 0.204
3 19 Carl Edwards Subway Toyota 28.018 192.733 1 1 0.219 0.015
4 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford 28.092 192.226 1 1 0.293 0.074
5 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota 28.124 192.007 1 1 0.325 0.032
6 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 28.142 191.884 1 1 0.343 0.018
7 55 David Ragan Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 28.180 191.625 1 1 0.381 0.038
8 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John's Chevrolet 28.232 191.272 1 1 0.433 0.052
9 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet 28.233 191.266 1 1 0.434 0.001
10 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 28.373 190.322 1 1 0.574 0.140
11 3 Austin Dillon Cheerios Chevrolet 28.446 189.833 1 1 0.647 0.073
12 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 29.124 185.414 1 1 1.325 0.678
Qualifying Round: 2
1 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John's Chevrolet 27.861 193.819 1 1 0.000 0.000
2 20 Matt Kenseth DeWalt Toyota 27.869 193.764 1 1 0.008 0.008
3 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 27.932 193.327 1 1 0.071 0.063
4 19 Carl Edwards Subway Toyota 27.954 193.175 1 1 0.093 0.022
5 55 David Ragan Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 27.975 193.029 1 1 0.114 0.021
6 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 28.063 192.424 3 3 0.202 0.088
7 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota 28.070 192.376 1 1 0.209 0.007
8 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 28.074 192.349 1 1 0.213 0.004
9 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford 28.080 192.308 1 1 0.219 0.006
10 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 28.088 192.253 1 1 0.227 0.008
11 3 Austin Dillon Cheerios Chevrolet 28.104 192.143 3 3 0.243 0.016
12 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet 28.117 192.055 1 1 0.256 0.013
13 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Patriotic Chevrolet 28.165 191.727 1 1 0.304 0.048
14 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 28.167 191.714 1 3 0.306 0.002
15 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nationwide Chevrolet 28.171 191.686 3 3 0.310 0.004
16 21 Ryan Blaney(i) Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford 28.174 191.666 1 3 0.313 0.003
17 18 Kyle Busch Skittles Toyota 28.209 191.428 3 3 0.348 0.035
18 24 Jeff Gordon Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet 28.220 191.354 1 3 0.359 0.011
19 31 Ryan Newman Quicken Loans Chevrolet 28.250 191.150 1 3 0.389 0.030
20 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 28.279 190.954 3 3 0.418 0.029
21 43 Aric Almirola United States Air Force Ford 28.298 190.826 1 1 0.437 0.019
22 1 Jamie McMurray Cessna/McDonald's Chevrolet 28.332 190.597 1 3 0.471 0.034
23 27 Paul Menard Serta/Menards Chevrolet 28.424 189.980 1 1 0.563 0.092
24 15 Clint Bowyer Cherry5hrEnrgy/SpclOprtnsWarriorFndtn Toyota 29.394 183.711 1 1 1.533 0.970
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
Qualifying Round: 1
1 20 Matt Kenseth DeWalt Toyota 27.913 193.458 1 1 0.000 0.000
2 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John's Chevrolet 27.962 193.119 1 1 0.049 0.049
3 55 David Ragan Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 27.993 192.905 1 1 0.080 0.031
4 24 Jeff Gordon Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet 27.994 192.898 1 1 0.081 0.001
5 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 28.000 192.857 1 1 0.087 0.006
6 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 28.045 192.548 1 1 0.132 0.045
7 18 Kyle Busch Skittles Toyota 28.076 192.335 1 1 0.163 0.031
8 1 Jamie McMurray Cessna/McDonald's Chevrolet 28.116 192.061 1 1 0.203 0.040
9 19 Carl Edwards Subway Toyota 28.116 192.061 1 1 0.203 0.000
10 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 28.131 191.959 1 1 0.218 0.015
11 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford 28.131 191.959 1 1 0.218 0.000
12 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet 28.157 191.782 1 1 0.244 0.026
13 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota 28.175 191.659 1 1 0.262 0.018
14 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 28.178 191.639 1 1 0.265 0.003
15 21 Ryan Blaney(i) Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford 28.183 191.605 1 1 0.270 0.005
16 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nationwide Chevrolet 28.205 191.455 1 1 0.292 0.022
17 31 Ryan Newman Quicken Loans Chevrolet 28.207 191.442 1 1 0.294 0.002
18 3 Austin Dillon Cheerios Chevrolet 28.240 191.218 1 1 0.327 0.033
19 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 28.249 191.157 1 1 0.336 0.009
20 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Patriotic Chevrolet 28.257 191.103 1 1 0.344 0.008
21 27 Paul Menard Serta/Menards Chevrolet 28.269 191.022 3 3 0.356 0.012
22 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 28.281 190.941 1 1 0.368 0.012
23 43 Aric Almirola United States Air Force Ford 28.290 190.880 3 3 0.377 0.009
24 15 Clint Bowyer Cherry5hrEnrgy/SpclOprtnsWarriorFndtn Toyota 28.293 190.860 1 1 0.380 0.003
25 95 Michael McDowell Thrivent Financial Ford 28.301 190.806 1 2 0.388 0.008
26 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Twisted Tea Ford 28.305 190.779 1 4 0.392 0.004
27 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 28.332 190.597 1 3 0.419 0.027
28 25 Chase Elliott(i) NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 28.365 190.375 3 3 0.452 0.033
29 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fastenal Ford 28.394 190.181 2 4 0.481 0.029
30 47 AJ Allmendinger Scott Products Chevrolet 28.429 189.947 3 3 0.516 0.035
31 7 Alex Bowman Culer Chevrolet 28.439 189.880 1 3 0.526 0.010
32 40 Landon Cassill(i) Snap Fitness Chevrolet 28.444 189.847 1 3 0.531 0.005
33 5 Kasey Kahne LiftMaster Chevrolet 28.470 189.673 1 1 0.557 0.026
34 13 Casey Mears GEICO Military Chevrolet 28.528 189.288 1 3 0.615 0.058
35 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet 28.538 189.221 1 3 0.625 0.010
36 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet 28.564 189.049 1 3 0.651 0.026
37 OP 35 Cole Whitt Speed Stick Ford 28.590 188.877 1 4 0.677 0.026
38 OP 98 Josh Wise RoyalTeakCollection.com Ford 28.651 188.475 1 1 0.738 0.061
39 OP 38 David Gilliland Love's Travel Stops Ford 28.724 187.996 3 3 0.811 0.073
40 OP 34 Brett Moffitt # CSX/Play It Safe Ford 29.060 185.822 1 3 1.147 0.336
41 OP 23 JJ Yeley(i) Hope for the Warriors Toyota 29.078 185.707 3 3 1.165 0.018
42 OP 83 Matt DiBenedetto # Dustless Blasting Toyota 29.184 185.033 1 2 1.271 0.106
43 OP 33 Alex Kennedy # HonorandRemember.org Chevrolet 29.746 181.537 1 1 1.833 0.562
44 26 Jeb Burton # Maxim Fantasy Sports/Estes Toyota 28.679 188.291 1 6 0.766 -1.067
45 32 Mike Bliss(i) Rimrock-Devlin Ford 28.894 186.890 1 1 0.981 0.215
46 39 Travis Kvapil(i) Chevrolet 28.984 186.310 3 3 1.071 0.090
47 30 Jeff Green(i) Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet 29.337 184.068 1 3 1.424 0.353
48 62 Brendan Gaughan(i) Chevrolet 29.807 181.165 1 1 1.894 0.470