Matt Kenseth scored the Coors Light Pole Award after qualifying for pole position for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Photo by Tom Pennington/NASCAR via Getty Images
FORT WORTH, TX — With three races left in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Matt Kenseth made a statement during Friday’s time trials at Texas Motor Speedway.
After Tony Stewart set the fastest lap ever run on a 1.5-mile intermediate speedway at 200.111 mph in the second round of knockout qualifying, Kenseth covered the distance in 27.095 seconds (199.299 mph) in the money round to win the pole for Sunday’s AAA Texas 500.
In winning his second Coors Light Pole Award of the season, his first at Texas and the 13th of his career, Kenseth edged Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup leader Jeff Gordon (199.291 mph) by .001 seconds, after Gordon ran what he described as an overly conservative lap.
Jimmie Johnson (198.983 mph) will start third in the second race of the Chase’s Eliminator Round, followed by Kurt Busch (198.910 mph in his first qualifying session with new crew chief Tony Gibson) and Kevin Harvick (198.836 mph).
Stewart was sixth fastest in the final round after leading a parade of drivers who bettered the previous track record of 198.282 mph Harvick had set in April.
Having advanced to the Eliminator Round without winning a race this season, Kenseth tested during the week at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where his team found some additional speed that translated to Texas.
“We’ve got to get in practice (Saturday) and hopefully get it driving as good as it drove tonight for the race,” Kenseth said of his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, “because 500 miles is way different than qualifying.
“But I thought we had a pretty good test at Homestead, and we stumbled on some things late that seemed to bring us up a step and bring us closer to the best guys. You never really know until you get through practice and get the race rolling and see what you’ve got.”
Stewart said his record lap, which took 26.985 seconds to complete, could have been even better.
“We were going to be probably down to a 26.75 or 26.80 if I would have finished getting through (turn) 4,” Stewart said. “I got real tight and had to lift all the way out of the gas in the first round and still ran a 27.10, so it was going to be a big monster lap in the first round, but that’s not the one that pays.
“We hit it the second round, and I missed it in the third round-my fault.”
Likely needing a victory to advance to the season finale at Homestead, Brad Keselowski failed to advance to the second round and will start 26th on Sunday. Nevertheless, Keselowski was confident in the quality of his car in race trim.
“I’m optimistic we can (win) in this round, and the reality is it will probably take that, said Keselowski, who is seventh in the Chase standings, 31 points behind Gordon. “I completely understand that and am ready for that challenge and hope we have the speed to make it happen.
“The speed and execution… and I hope I don’t screw it up if we do. When it comes down to moments like this, great teams have to step it up. I believe we are a great team, and I’m ready for the challenge.”
Other Chase drivers will start as follows: Ryan Newman, seventh; Joey Logano, 10th; Carl Edwards, 11th; and Denny Hamlin 20th.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Texas Motor Speedway – Fort Worth, TX
AAA Texas 500 Qualifying – Oct. 31, 2014
1. Matt Kenseth – 199.299 mph
2. Jeff Gordon – 199.291
3. Jimmie Johnson – 198.983
4. Kurt Busch – 198.91
5. Kevin Harvick – 198.836
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7. Ryan Newman – 198.5
8. Martin Truex, Jr. – 198.398
9. Kyle Busch – 198.333
10. Joey Logano – 198.071
11. Carl Edwards – 198.042
12. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 197.744
13. Brian Vickers – 198.646
14. Kasey Kahne – 198.632
15. Paul Menard – 198.515
16. Marcos Ambrose – 198.493
17. Kyle Larson – 198.354
18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 198.311
19. Greg Biffle – 198.129
20. Denny Hamlin – 197.773
21. Jamie McMurray – 197.751
22. Aric Almirola – 197.477
23. A.J. Allmendinger – 197.087
24. Clint Bowyer – 196.707
25. Trevor Bayne – 197.571
26. Brad Keselowski – 197.181
27. Danica Patrick – 196.822
28. Michael McDowell – 196.685
29. Austin Dillon – 196.635
30. Justin Allgaier – 196.385
31. David Gilliland – 196.364
32. Reed Sorenson – 195.986
33. Michael Annett – 195.751
34. Landon Cassill – 195.744
35. Alex Bowman – 195.659
36. Josh Wise – 195.503
37. David Ragan – Owner Points
38. Casey Mears – Owner Points
39. J.J. Yeley – Owner Points
40. Cole Whitt – Owner Points
41. Brett Moffitt – Owner Points
42. Timmy Hill – Owner Points
43. Joey Gase – Owner Points
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