Folds of Honor 500 Qualifying Report
Date: Feb. 26, 2016
Event: Folds of Honor 500 Qualifying (Round 2 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval)
Pole Winner: Kurt Busch of Stewart-Haas Racing (28.938 seconds at 191.582 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 Atlanta Motor Speedway by winning the pole for Sunday’s Folds of Honor 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. It was the 27th Sprint Cup pole for SHR since its inception in 2009 and the organization’s first this season.
While Kyle Busch turned the fastest lap of the third and final round in qualifying, his lap time was disallowed by NASCAR after his car failed post-qualifying inspection. As a result, Kurt Busch’s lap of 28.938 seconds at 191.582 mph on the 1.54-mile oval netted the driver his 20th career Sprint Cup pole, his first of the season and his first in 24 races at Atlanta.
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 remainder of the 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 sixth with a time of 29.213 seconds at 189.779 mph.
Ty Dillon, interim driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet SS for SHR as he subs for the injured Tony Stewart, qualified 18th with a time of 29.312 seconds at 189.138 mph.
Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Chevrolet SS for SHR, qualified 25th with a time of 29.321 seconds at 189.079 mph.
Jamie McMurrary will start on the outside of row one after clocking in at 29.159 seconds at 190.130 mph.
The other drivers who made it to the final round of qualifying were Trevor Bayne, Ryan Newman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Harvick, Carl Edwards, Austin Dillon, Martin Truex Jr., Brian Scott and Kasey Kahne. All are listed in the order they’ll start Sunday’s race.
The Folds of Honor 500 gets underway at 1 p.m. EST Sunday with live coverage provided by FOX.
-SHR-