Stewart-Haas Racing - 2016 Phoenix I Qualifying
Date: Mar. 11, 2016
Event: Good Sam 500k Qualifying (Round 4 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Phoenix International Raceway (1-mile oval)
Pole Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (26.014 seconds at 138.387 mph)
SHR Lineup:
Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Phoenix International Raceway by setting the fourth-fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s Good Sam 500k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Busch, who sought his third-consecutive pole, turned a lap of 26.202 seconds at 137.394 mph on the 1-mile oval in the final qualifying round.
Qualifying consisted of three rounds. The first was 20 minutes, with every driver on the track vying to set the fastest lap. The 24 fastest drivers from the first round advanced to the second, 10-minute round and the fastest 12 drivers from that session advanced to the final, five-minute round where they battled for the pole. Positions 1-12 were set by speeds in the final round. Positions 13-24 were set by speeds in the second round. The remaining 39-car field was set by speeds posted by those who did not advance past the first round.
Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS for SHR, qualified 18th with a time of 26.298 seconds at 136.893 mph.
Ty Dillon, interim driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet SS for SHR, qualified 28th with a time of 26.594 seconds at 135.369 mph.
Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS for SHR, qualified 36th with a time of 27.089 seconds at 132.895 mph.
Kyle Busch led the final round of knockout qualifying by taking the pole with a lap of 26.014 seconds at 138.387 mph. It was his 18th career Sprint Cup pole, his first of the season and his third at Phoenix.
Carl Edwards will start on the outside of row one after clocking in at 26.179 seconds at 137.515 mph.
The 10 other drivers who made it to the final round of qualifying were Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Jamie McMurray and Ryan Blaney. All are listed in the order they’ll start Sunday’s race.
The Good Sam 500k gets underway at 3:30 p.m. EDT Sunday with live coverage provided by FOX.
-SHR-