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Harvick to Start 19th at Martinsville

Pre-Race Reports | NASCAR Cup Series | 04/01/16

Stewart-Haas Racing - 2016 Martinsville I Qualifying

Date: Apr. 01, 2016

Event: Martinsville 500 Qualifying (Round 6 of 36)

Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (.526-mile oval)

Pole Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (19.513 seconds at 97.043 mph)

SHR Lineup:        

Brian Vickers, interim driver of the No. 14 Janssen/Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway by setting the third-fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s Martinsville 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Vickers turned a lap of 19.549 seconds at 96.864 mph on the .526-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 40-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 19th with a time of 19.651 seconds at 96.362 mph.

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevrolet SS for SHR, qualified 23rd with a time of 19.767 seconds at 95.796 mph.

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 TaxAct Chevrolet SS for SHR, qualified 28th with a time of 19.748 seconds at 95.888 mph.

Joey Logano led the final round of knockout qualifying by taking the pole with a lap of 19.513 seconds at 97.043mph. It was his 15th career Sprint Cup pole, his first of the season and his third-straight pole at Martinsville.

Kasey Kahne will start on the outside of row one after clocking in at 19.515 seconds at 97.033 mph.

The 10 other drivers who made it to the final round of qualifying were Vickers, Paul Menard, Ryan Newman, A.J. Allmendinger, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney. All are listed in the order they’ll start Sunday’s race.

The Martinsville 500 gets underway at 1 p.m. EDT Sunday with live television coverage provided by FOX Sports 1. 

-SHR-


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