After 27 starts in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, rookie Erik Jones capture his first-career Coors Light Pole Award after taking the top spot in Friday’s qualifying session for Saturday night’s Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Jones turned in a lap of 128.082 mph in his Furniture Row Racing Toyota Camry to claim the top spot from last weekend’s winner Kyle Larson, who will start second ahead of Kasey Kahne, Chase Elliott and Matt Kenseth.
The pole beats his previous career-best start of fifth earlier this season in the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and comes just a week coming within a few positions of winning his first-ever Cup Series race at Michigan.
“It’s awesome. It’s cool any time you get your first pole in a series, but to do it at Bristol, that’s pretty cool. I’m just excited,” said Jones, who started 14th and finished 17th in his only Bristol start back in April. “I wasn’t sure if that lap was going to hold out, but I knew it was a pretty good lap time for us. I knew it was all I had so just cool to be coming off a good week at Michigan and then coming back here, started off right.
“I was hoping we were going to be able to accomplish a few things this year and this was one of our goals – at least one of my goals for sure. Pretty awesome you know, especially at Bristol. It’s a cool place to get your first pole.”
Jones helped lead a Toyota rush in the opening two rounds of qualifying, finishing sixth in the opening round behind Kyle Busch and ending up third behind Hamlin and Kenseth at the end of the second round.
He was one of the last drivers to take to the track in the third and final round before motoring to top of the speed charts. Among the drivers Jones shuffled down the line after taking the pole was Matt Kenseth, the driver he will be replacing at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2018.
Kenseth, who is still without a ride for 2018, will roll off fifth in his Toyota Camry in his 18th-career start in the Bristol night race, where he’s posted two straight DNF’s.
“(The lap) was pretty good. The balance wasn’t bad,” said Kenseth. “We were just a little off on speed there. Everybody is so close together, but it was pretty good.”
Kasey Kahne might not have a ride lined up for next season, either, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to go away quietly.
Already with a victory this season at Indianapolis and a guaranteed spot in the playoffs in his back pocket, Kahne recorded his best Bristol start since 2013 and will looking to rebound after crashing out last weekend at Michigan.
“The (Indianapolis) win was kind of out of nowhere and pretty awesome and ever since I feel like we have been a little bit better,” said Kahne, who has one career victory at this track. “We still have some work to do, but you know it’s not really time yet. Hopefully, we can get it before those final 10 (races).”
Martin Truex, Jr. qualified sixth, followed by Hamlin, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer and Ryan Blaney.
Among the surprising names who failed to advance past the first round were Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., while spring race winner Jimmie Johnson didn’t make it through the second round.
Saturday night’s race will mark the third Bristol race weekend where the track has applied a traction compound racing surface. The compound, called “PJ1 TrackBite” has also been used at Charlotte and New Hampshire Motor Speedways to varying degrees of success, the idea being the enhanced traction will lead to multiple racing grooves and increased passing.
Over the last few days, the track surface has been subjected to several torrential downpours – including one rain shower prior to qualifying – which means the track officials may have to re-apply more of the compound before tomorrow night’s race.
“The one thing that has hindered us the last two races here with the top not coming in quick enough is all the rain we’ve had,” said Jamie McMurray, who qualified 11th. “Once the top gets rubbered in that will be the fastest groove.”
“They are not putting the ‘sticky stuff’ quite as wide around the bottom this time as the spring (race), so that is going to make the pace down there a little bit slower already,” said second-place qualifier Kyle Larson. “I think the top is going to be really good. It’s going to be racy as always.”
WDUN will carry live PRN Radio coverage of Saturday night's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway beginning at 6:30 pm on 102.9 FM, AM 550 and streaming live.
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, TN
Bristol Night Race – Aug. 18, 2017
Friday’s Qualifying Results
1. 77 Erik Jones # 14.981 128.082 MPH
2. 42 Kyle Larson 14.984 128.057
3. 5 Kasey Kahne 15.005 127.877
4. 24 Chase Elliott 15.031 127.656
5. 20 Matt Kenseth 15.042 127.563
6. 78 Martin Truex, Jr. 15.046 127.529
7. 11 Denny Hamlin 15.062 127.393
8. 22 Joey Logano 15.108 127.006
9. 14 Clint Bowyer 15.117 126.930
10. 21 Ryan Blaney 15.126 126.854
11. 1 Jamie McMurray 15.225 126.030
12. 19 Daniel Suarez # 15.244 125.872
13. 31 Ryan Newman 15.100 127.073
14. 17 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. 15.108 127.006
15. 37 Chris Buescher 15.120 126.905
16. 3 Austin Dillon 15.121 126.896
17. 2 Brad Keselowski 15.133 126.796
18. 18 Kyle Busch 15.143 126.712
19. 38 David Ragan 15.146 126.687
20. 6 Trevor Bayne 15.179 126.411
21. 48 Jimmie Johnson 15.181 126.395
22. 13 Ty Dillon # 15.230 125.988
23. 47 A.J. Allmendinger 15.337 125.109
24. 10 Danica Patrick 15.403 124.573
25. 41 Kurt Busch 15.194 126.287
26. 95 Michael McDowell 15.212 126.137
27. 27 Paul Menard 15.255 125.782
28. 43 Aric Almirola 15.255 125.782
29. 4 Kevin Harvick 15.259 125.749
30. 7 J.J. Yeley(i) 15.282 125.559
31. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 15.287 125.518
32. 72 Cole Whitt 15.329 125.175
33. 34 Landon Cassill 15.376 124.792
34. 32 Matt DiBenedetto 15.406 124.549
35. 83 Corey LaJoie # 15.453 124.170
36. 51 BJ McLeod(i) 15.503 123.770
37. 55 Gray Gaulding # 15.531 123.546
38. 33 Jeffrey Earnhardt 15.554 123.364
39. 15 Reed Sorenson 15.623 122.819
40. 23 Joey Gase(i) 15.777 121.620
Did Not Qualify: # 66 Timmy Hill(i).
