Stewart-Haas Racing - 2016 Charlotte I Qualifying
May. 27, 2016
Event: Qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 (Round 13 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Pole Winner: Martin Truex Jr. (28.077 seconds at 192.328 mph)
SHR Lineup:
Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Thursday at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway by setting the eighth fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Harvick turned a lap of 28.381 seconds at 190.268 mph on the 1.5-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.
Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevrolet SS for SHR, qualified 13th with a time of 28.404 seconds at 190.114 mph.
Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS for SHR, qualified 19th with a time of 28.492 seconds at 189.527 mph.
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for SHR, qualified 21st with a time of 28.543 seconds at189.188 mph.
Martin Truex Jr. led the final round of knockout qualifying by taking the pole with a lap of 28.077 seconds at 192.328 mph. It was his ninth career Sprint Cup pole, his first at Charlotte and his second of the season.
Joey Logano will start on the outside of row one after clocking in at 28.124 seconds and 192.007 mph.
The 10 other drivers who made it to the final round of qualifying were Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, Harvick, Carl Edwards, Trevor Bayne, Paul Menard and Chase Elliott. All are listed in the order they’ll start the race.
The Coca-Cola 600 gets underway at 6 p.m. EDT on Sunday with live coverage provided by FOX.
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