Denny Hamlin poses after qualifying for the pole position for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
Denny Hamlin edged Greg Biffle and Brad Keselowski for the top starting spot in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway, but of the three top qualifiers, Hamlin will be the only driver starting at or near the front of the field.
Overcoming an early draw, Hamlin toured the two-mile track in 38.410 seconds (187.451 mph) to win the 13th Coors Light pole award of his career and his third at Fontana.
Biffle (187.217 mph) was second fastest, and Keselowski, the defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and current points leader, ran third at 187.149 mph. However, both Biffle and Keselowski will start from the rear of the field after changing their Ford engines before qualifying.
As time trials ended, Biffle’s team was tearing down his motor to determine the cause of a failure that occurred early in Friday’s opening practice. Keselowski’s team changed engines after the conclusion of practice because of an issue Biffle believed was similar to his, although neither engine had been analyzed by Friday afternoon.
Though Biffle and Keselowski drive for different organizations — Roush Fenway Racing and Penske Racing, respectively — their power plants come from a common source, Roush Yates Racing Engines.
Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth, Hamlin’s teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing, qualified fourth and fifth, respectively. Joey Logano, Keselowski’s teammate, claimed the sixth starting position but will move closer to the front of the field — and to Hamlin, his nemesis from last Sunday’s race at Bristol — when Biffle and Keselowski drop to the rear.
Though conventional wisdom says that drivers will post faster laps later in the day as the track cools, Hamlin, the third driver to make a qualifying attempt, felt the quality of his No. 11 Toyota made the difference.
“Honestly, I think our car was really fast,” said Hamlin, who started from the pole at Fontana last year. “I knew, talking to a few people in my motor home… it’s cocky to say, but I said, ‘Man, I can almost guarantee a pole, if we have a late draw.’ When they told me we were third, I was like, ‘OK. Well, just never mind. Forget that.’
“I knew, after running so well here in qualifying before, you kind of get a feel for what you need to do as a driver to hit your points and be fast, and I think our car was just exceptional for a lap or so today.”
Keselowski expressed concern of the engine issues that will send him and Biffle to the back.
“I’m a little bit nervous about the engine issues the 16 (Biffle) and the 2 cars had in practice,” said Keselowski, who has finished in the top five in each of the first four Cup races this season. “Hopefully, those will subside for the race.
“It’s unfortunate, but it’s kind of what it is, and we’ll have a good time, hopefully, racing to the front.”
Martin Truex Jr., defending race winner Tony Stewart, Mark Martin and Kurt Busch will start from positions seven through 10 on the grid, respectively.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Auto Club Speedway – Fontana, CA
Auto Club 400 Qualifying – March 22, 2013
1 11 Denny Hamlin 38.410 187.451
2 16 Greg Biffle 38.458 187.217
3 2 Brad Keselowski 38.472 187.149
4 18 Kyle Busch 38.476 187.130
5 20 Matt Kenseth 38.567 186.688
6 22 Joey Logano 38.603 186.514
7 56 Martin Truex Jr. 38.653 186.273
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9 55 Mark Martin 38.753 185.792
10 78 Kurt Busch 38.777 185.677
11 13 Casey Mears 38.886 185.157
12 42 Juan Pablo Montoya 38.901 185.085
13 15 Clint Bowyer 38.945 184.876
14 29 Kevin Harvick 38.979 184.715
15 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 38.998 184.625
16 5 Kasey Kahne 39.051 184.374
17 1 Jamie McMurray 39.081 184.233
18 48 Jimmie Johnson 39.121 184.044
19 24 Jeff Gordon 39.128 184.011
20 39 Ryan Newman 39.133 183.988
21 9 Marcos Ambrose 39.162 183.852
22 31 Jeff Burton 39.194 183.702
23 43 Aric Almirola 39.195 183.697
24 99 Carl Edwards 39.222 183.570
25 47 Bobby Labonte 39.291 183.248
26 51 AJ Allmendinger 39.320 183.113
27 27 Paul Menard 39.340 183.020
28 83 David Reutimann 39.382 182.825
29 7 Dave Blaney 39.418 182.658
30 35 Josh Wise 39.422 182.639
31 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 39.448 182.519
32 30 David Stremme 39.458 182.473
33 93 Travis Kvapil 39.465 182.440
34 38 David Gilliland 39.671 181.493
35 98 Michael McDowell 39.760 181.087
36 33 Landon Cassill 39.760 181.087
37 36 JJ Yeley Owner Points
38 44 Scott Riggs Owner Points
39 32 Timmy Hill Owner Points
40 10 Danica Patrick Owner Points
41 19 Mike Bliss Owner Points
42 34 David Ragan Owner Points
43 87 Joe Nemechek Owner Points
Did Not Qualify: None
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