Race Weekend Central

Kyle Busch Dominates Brickyard Qualifying

The Brickyard is a racetrack unlike any other. Once a driver has a feel for it they can exploit that for speed and success. Kyle Busch proved that again on Saturday when he dominated knockout qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Busch finished second in the first round of qualifying then led the final two rounds to secure his first Coors Light Pole Award at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Sprint Cup Series. Busch’s time in the final round was 48.745 seconds for a speed of 184.634 mph. Busch beat teammate Carl Edwards in the final round by .023 seconds.

Tony Stewart continued his recent stretch of strong efforts by running third quick in the final session. Denny Hamlin was the third Joe Gibbs Racing car in the first four positions, with Brad Keselowski leading the Fords in fifth.

Rounding out the fast 12 in Brickyard time trials were Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Jamie McMurray, Kyle Larson, Kurt Busch and Austin Dillon. After posting the quickest lap in round one of qualifying Jimmie Johnson faild to transfer to round three and will start 13th on Sunday. Other notable drivers knocked out in round two were Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, and Jeff Gordon.

Among the drivers who had to qualify on time Ryan Blaney was fastest in the first round in 16th position. Cole Whitt, Ryan Elliss and Reed Sorenson also managed to time their way into the 23rd Brickyard. Josh Wise was the slowest driver in first round qualifying and is the lone driver not to make the 40 car field.

This is Busch’s first pole at IMS and second of the 2016 season. Busch has scored 19 poles in 410 attempts in his career. Elliott was the fastest qualifying rookie in the field.

Qualifying Results for the 23rd Annual Crown Royal presents the Combat Wounded Coalition 400:

Pos     Car     Driver  Team    Time    Speed   Lap #   # Laps  -Fastest        -Next

Qualifying Round:       3

1               18      Kyle Busch      Skittles Toyota 48.745  184.634 1       1       0.000   0.000
2               19      Carl Edwards    Stanley Toyota  48.768  184.547 1       1       0.023   0.023
3               14      Tony Stewart    Mobil 1/ChevySummerSellDown Chevrolet   48.826  184.328 1       1       0.081   0.058
4               11      Denny Hamlin    FedEx Express Toyota    48.892  184.079 1       1       0.147   0.066
5               2       Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford        49.022  183.591 1       1       0.277   0.130
6               31      Ryan Newman     Grainger Chevrolet      49.126  183.202 1       1       0.381   0.104
7               4       Kevin Harvick   Jimmy John's Chevrolet  49.220  182.852 1       1       0.475   0.094
8               78      Martin Truex Jr.        Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota    49.315  182.500 1       1       0.570   0.095
9               1       Jamie McMurray  McDonald's Chevrolet    49.325  182.463 1       1       0.580   0.010
10              42      Kyle Larson     Energizer Chevrolet     49.346  182.386 1       1       0.601   0.021
11              41      Kurt Busch      Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chev     49.356  182.349 1       1       0.611   0.010
12              3       Austin Dillon   DOW/Mycogen Chevrolet   49.373  182.286 1       1       0.628   0.017

Qualifying Round:       2

1               18      Kyle Busch      Skittles Toyota 48.589  185.227 1       1       0.000   0.000
2               14      Tony Stewart    Mobil 1/ChevySummerSellDown Chev        48.679  184.885 1       1       0.090   0.090
3               19      Carl Edwards    Stanley Toyota  48.756  184.593 1       1       0.167   0.077
4               11      Denny Hamlin    FedEx Express Toyota    48.792  184.456 1       1       0.203   0.036
5               2       Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford        48.891  184.083 1       1       0.302   0.099
6               78      Martin Truex Jr.        Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota    48.951  183.857 1       1       0.362   0.060
7               1       Jamie McMurray  McDonald's Chevrolet    48.958  183.831 1       1       0.369   0.007
8               42      Kyle Larson     Energizer Chevrolet     48.992  183.703 1       1       0.403   0.034
9               31      Ryan Newman     Grainger Chevrolet      48.993  183.700 1       1       0.404   0.001
10              3       Austin Dillon   DOW/Mycogen Chevrolet   49.000  183.673 1       1       0.411   0.007
11              4       Kevin Harvick   Jimmy John's Chevrolet  49.007  183.647 1       1       0.418   0.007
12              41      Kurt Busch      Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chev     49.024  183.584 1       1       0.435   0.017
13              48      Jimmie Johnson  Lowe's Red Vest Chevrolet       49.032  183.554 1       3       0.443   0.008
14              22      Joey Logano     Shell Pennzoil Ford     49.107  183.273 1       1       0.518   0.075
15              24      Chase Elliott # NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet       49.162  183.068 1       1       0.573   0.055
16              17      Ricky Stenhouse Jr.     SunnyD Ford     49.175  183.020 1       3       0.586   0.013
17      *       21      Ryan Blaney #   Quick Lane/Motorcraft Ford      49.228  182.823 1       1       0.639   0.053
18              20      Matt Kenseth    Dollar General Toyota   49.390  182.223 1       1       0.801   0.162
19              16      Greg Biffle     Performance Plus Motor Oil Ford 49.435  182.057 1       1       0.846   0.045
20              6       Trevor Bayne    AdvoCare Ford   49.456  181.980 1       1       0.867   0.021
21              88      Jeff Gordon     Axalta Chevrolet        49.491  181.851 1       1       0.902   0.035
22              34      Chris Buescher #        Dockside Logistics Ford 49.651  181.265 1       1       1.062   0.160
23              27      Paul Menard     Valvoline/Menards Chevrolet     49.670  181.196 1       1       1.081   0.019
24              10      Danica Patrick  Nature's Bakery Chevrolet       49.984  180.058 1       1       1.395   0.314


Qualifying Round:       1

1               48      Jimmie Johnson  Lowe's Red Vest Chevrolet       48.435  185.816 1       1       0.000   0.000
2               18      Kyle Busch      Skittles Toyota 48.438  185.805 1       1       0.003   0.003
3               2       Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford        48.500  185.567 1       1       0.065   0.062
4               19      Carl Edwards    Stanley Toyota  48.503  185.556 1       1       0.068   0.003
5               3       Austin Dillon   DOW/Mycogen Chevrolet   48.512  185.521 1       1       0.077   0.009
6               14      Tony Stewart    Mobil 1/ChevySummerSellDown Chev        48.542  185.406 1       1       0.107   0.030
7               24      Chase Elliott # NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet       48.554  185.361 1       1       0.119   0.012
8               17      Ricky Stenhouse Jr.     SunnyD Ford     48.620  185.109 1       1       0.185   0.066
9               4       Kevin Harvick   Jimmy John's Chevrolet  48.635  185.052 1       1       0.200   0.015
10              1       Jamie McMurray  McDonald's Chevrolet    48.644  185.018 1       1       0.209   0.009
11              41      Kurt Busch      Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chev     48.681  184.877 1       1       0.246   0.037
12              11      Denny Hamlin    FedEx Express Toyota    48.695  184.824 1       1       0.260   0.014
13              10      Danica Patrick  Nature's Bakery Chevrolet       48.709  184.771 1       1       0.274   0.014
14              78      Martin Truex Jr.        Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota    48.742  184.646 1       1       0.307   0.033
15              88      Jeff Gordon     Axalta Chevrolet        48.769  184.543 1       1       0.334   0.027
16      *       21      Ryan Blaney #   Quick Lane/Motorcraft Ford      48.792  184.456 1       1       0.357   0.023
17              31      Ryan Newman     Grainger Chevrolet      48.806  184.404 1       1       0.371   0.014
18              20      Matt Kenseth    Dollar General Toyota   48.881  184.121 1       1       0.446   0.075
19              42      Kyle Larson     Energizer Chevrolet     48.913  184.000 1       1       0.478   0.032
20              27      Paul Menard     Valvoline/Menards Chevrolet     48.949  183.865 1       1       0.514   0.036
21              22      Joey Logano     Shell Pennzoil Ford     48.990  183.711 3       3       0.555   0.041
22              16      Greg Biffle     Performance Plus Motor Oil Ford 49.052  183.479 1       1       0.617   0.062
23              6       Trevor Bayne    AdvoCare Ford   49.104  183.284 1       1       0.669   0.052
24              34      Chris Buescher #        Dockside Logistics Ford 49.114  183.247 3       3       0.679   0.010
25              47      AJ Allmendinger Kroger/Kingsford Chevrolet      49.135  183.169 1       3       0.700   0.021
26              5       Kasey Kahne     Farmers Insurance Chevrolet     49.151  183.109 3       3       0.716   0.016
27              95      Michael McDowell        Thrivent Financial Chevrolet    49.229  182.819 1       2       0.794   0.078
28              23      David Ragan     Brandeis Machinery Toyota       49.342  182.400 1       1       0.907   0.113
29              43      Aric Almirola   Smithfield Ford 49.391  182.219 1       2       0.956   0.049
30              83      Matt DiBenedetto        ScienceLogic Toyota     49.428  182.083 1       2       0.993   0.037
31              15      Clint Bowyer    AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet     49.469  181.932 1       3       1.034   0.041
32              44      Brian Scott #   Medallion Bank Ford     49.535  181.690 1       3       1.100   0.066
33              38      Landon Cassill  Snap Fitness Ford       49.630  181.342 1       3       1.195   0.095
34              13      Casey Mears     GEICO Chevrolet 49.781  180.792 1       3       1.346   0.151
35      *       98      Cole Whitt      Speed Stick Chevrolet   50.097  179.651 1       1       1.662   0.316
36      *       93      Ryan Ellis(i)   ScienceLogic Toyota     50.274  179.019 1       1       1.839   0.177
37              7       Regan Smith     Nikko RC/Toy State Chevrolet    50.461  178.356 1       1       2.026   0.187
38              46      Michael Annett  Allstate Peterbilt Group Chevrolet      50.568  177.978 1       3       2.133   0.107
39      *       55      Reed Sorenson    Chevrolet      51.084  176.180 1       1       2.649   0.516
40              32      Patrick Carpentier      Can-Am/Kappa Ford       51.716  174.027 2       2       3.281   0.632
41      *       30      Josh Wise       Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet   52.737  170.658 1       3       4.302   1.021

About the author

What is it that Mike Neff doesn’t do? The writer, radio contributor and racetrack announcer coordinates the site’s local short track coverage, hitting up Saturday Night Specials across the country while tracking the sport’s future racing stars. The writer for our signature Cup post-race column, Thinkin’ Out Loud (Mondays) also sits down with Cup crew chiefs to talk shop every Friday with Tech Talk. Mike announces several shows each year for the Good Guys Rod and Custom Association. He also pops up everywhere from PRN Pit Reporters and the Press Box with Alan Smothers to SIRIUS XM Radio. He has announced at tracks all over the Southeast, starting at Millbridge Speedway. He's also announced at East Lincoln Speedway, Concord Speedway, Tri-County Speedway, Caraway Speedway, and Charlotte Motor Speedway.

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DoninAjax

If he “dominates” qualifying he leads all three sessions. He didn’t dominate. Must have hurt his ego.

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