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Qualifying report

Kyle Busch tops Logano for Phoenix pole

Kyle Busch’s first pole of the 2019 season could not have been better timed.

Pole Award winner Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry M&M's

Pole Award winner Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry M&M's

Russell LaBounty / NKP / Motorsport Images

With an average lap speed of 140.116 mph, Busch withstood a late challenge from Joey Logano to win the pole for Sunday’s Bluegreen Vacations 500 at ISM Raceway near Phoenix.

While Busch is in good position to advance to the Championship 4 on points, the pole at Phoenix puts him in an excellent position to win his way to the finale. Busch has won the last two Phoenix races.

The pole is the 32nd of Busch’s NASCAR Cup Series career but first since last October at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

“I think this is actually the first race all year we made a mock (qualifying) run in practice, maybe there’s something to that,” Busch said. “The guys did a great job. We fight hard every week trying to figure out what we need to do to continue to improve and get better and a lot of others guys have certainly done that over the year.

“Hopefully today bodes well for tomorrow. I really don’t know. The schedule is all different with all practice all in one day and then just qualifying today. Overall, proud to start out front in this very important race and very important with track position and such.”

Reminded his closest competitor in the playoff standings, Logano, will start alongside him, Busch was asked his approach in keeping tabs on the No. 22 Ford.

“When we first rolled out in practice yesterday Logano was really good. We improved our car a lot from that and hopefully we can keep him behind us and not have to allow him to pass us and keep the track position that we need to keep.”

Logano (139.752 mph) ended up second and Denny Hamlin third (139.394 mph). Martin Truex Jr. was fourth-fastest and Kyle Larson rounded out the top-five.

Completing the rest of the top-10 starters are Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Erik Jones and Ryan Blaney.

Playoff drivers claimed the top seven positions while the final playoff driver, Blaney, was 10th.

Four drivers – Elliott, William Byron, Matt DiBenedetto and Ross Chastain – each failed pre-qualifying inspection twice. 

Each team had its car chief ejected for the remainder of the weekend and will lose 15 minutes of practice time next weekend at Homestead.

Read Also:

Cla # Driver Manufacturer Time Gap Mph
1 18 United States Kyle Busch Toyota 25.693   140.116
2 22 United States Joey Logano Ford 25.760 0.067 139.752
3 11 United States Denny Hamlin Toyota 25.826 0.133 139.394
4 19 United States Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 25.839 0.146 139.324
5 42 United States Kyle Larson Chevrolet 25.855 0.162 139.238
6 9 United States Chase Elliott Chevrolet 25.866 0.173 139.179
7 4 United States Kevin Harvick Ford 25.914 0.221 138.921
8 1 United States Kurt Busch Chevrolet 25.916 0.223 138.910
9 20 United States Erik Jones Toyota 25.925 0.232 138.862
10 12 United States Ryan Blaney Ford 25.945 0.252 138.755
11 10 United States Aric Almirola Ford 25.972 0.279 138.611
12 2 United States Brad Keselowski Ford 25.989 0.296 138.520
13 14 United States Clint Bowyer Ford 26.008 0.315 138.419
14 88 United States Alex Bowman Chevrolet 26.021 0.328 138.350
15 41 Mexico Daniel Suarez Ford 26.062 0.369 138.132
16 95 United States Matt DiBenedetto Toyota 26.080 0.387 138.037
17 37 United States Chris Buescher Chevrolet 26.091 0.398 137.979
18 24 United States William Byron Chevrolet 26.132 0.439 137.762
19 21 United States Paul Menard Ford 26.179 0.486 137.515
20 6 United States Ryan Newman Ford 26.206 0.513 137.373
21 34 United States Michael McDowell Ford 26.263 0.570 137.075
22 48 United States Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 26.268 0.575 137.049
23 43 United States Darrell Wallace Jr. Chevrolet 26.278 0.585 136.997
24 17 United States Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ford 26.288 0.595 136.945
25 47 United States Ryan Preece Chevrolet 26.330 0.637 136.726
26 36 United States John Hunter Nemechek Ford 26.351 0.658 136.617
27 8 United States Daniel Hemric Chevrolet 26.360 0.667 136.571
28 3 United States Austin Dillon Chevrolet 26.423 0.730 136.245
29 13 United States Ty Dillon Chevrolet 26.560 0.867 135.542
30 38 United States David Ragan Ford 26.586 0.893 135.410
31 32 United States Corey Lajoie Ford 26.600 0.907 135.338
32 15 United States Ross Chastain Chevrolet 26.933 1.240 133.665
33 00 United States Landon Cassill Chevrolet 26.993 1.300 133.368
34 52 United States Bayley Currey Chevrolet 27.042 1.349 133.126
35 51 United States Garrett Smithley Chevrolet 27.149 1.456 132.602
36 27 United States Joe Nemechek Chevrolet 27.357 1.664 131.593
37 77 United States Reed Sorenson Chevrolet 27.834 2.141 129.338
38 66 United States Joey Gase Toyota 27.903 2.210 129.018
39 53 United States J.J. Yeley Ford    

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