BROOKLYN, Mich. - Kevin Harvick had his sights set on a clean sweep of knockout qualifying at Michigan International Speedway—until Kasey Kahne had other ideas late in Friday’s final round.
Kahne sped around the two-mile track in 35.645 seconds (201.992 mph) to knock Harvick off the pole for Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
Harvick, who posted a 201.613 mph lap in the final session, had topped the charts in the first two rounds, matching Kahne’s pole-winning time in the second.
The Coors Light Pole Award was Kahne’s third of the season and the 27th of his career—but his first since the October 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway.
Brad Keselowski (201.449 mph) qualified third, followed by Carl Edwards (201.067 mph) and Ryan Blaney (201.056 mph), who is running a partial schedule in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford.
With a 2012 repaving project having narrowed the racing groove at Michigan, Kahne underscored the value of starting up front—and staying there.
“It’s going to be really important,” said Kahne, who also gets the benefit of selecting pit stall No. 1, closest to the exit from pit road. “The track is going to change a lot, though, come Sunday, with all the racing going on this weekend and then our practices (on Saturday).
“The track will be a lot different Sunday. So, there will be some passing for sure, but it’s not going to be easy. So track position will play a big role in being there at the end of the race.”
Harvick remains the only driver to sweep all three rounds of qualifying at a single track, a feat he accomplished last year at Michigan and Indianapolis, but he fell .067 seconds of doing so for a third time.
“I don’t know that I got everything out of it (the final lap), but the rounds were within seven hundredths (of a second) of each other,” Harvick said. “The guys were doing a great job, and Kasey just got a little bit better lap there than we did.”
With possible rain in the forecast, Blaney was nervous as qualifying approached, but not because of the competition. If rain had washed out time trials, the Wood Brothers’ car would not have made the field, based on fewest qualifying attempts this season—a product of a limited schedule.
“It was funny the way it played out,” Blaney said. “It looked like two cells coming at us (on the radar), and a small slit in the middle of them, and we passed right through that slit. That was just kind of lucky for us.
“Like I said, it would have stung knowing how good of a car we had in practice if qualifying rained out. We’re fortunate to get it in, and it’s a bonus to have a good race car.”
Brendan Gaughan, who unlike Blaney would have benefited from a rainout, failed to make the 43-car field.
WDUN will have live MRN Radio coverage of Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 from Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. beginning at Noon on 102.9 FM and 1 pm on 550 AM.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Michigan International Speedway – Brooklyn, MI
Quicken Loans 400 Qualifying – June 12, 2015
1. 5 Kasey Kahne Great Clips Chevrolet 35.645 201.992
2. 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet 35.712 201.613
3. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 35.741 201.449
4. 19 Carl Edwards ARRIS Toyota 35.809 201.067
5. 21 Ryan Blaney(i) Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford 35.811 201.056
6. 24 Jeff Gordon Panasonic Chevrolet 35.823 200.988
7. 3 Austin Dillon American Ethanol Chevrolet 35.836 200.915
8. 48 Jimmie Johnson Kobalt Tools Chevrolet 35.882 200.658
9. 78 Martin Truex, Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 35.896 200.579
10. 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Crispy Toyota 35.916 200.468
11. 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 35.925 200.418
12. 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 36.076 199.579
13. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota 36.012 199.933
14. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. AMP Energy Chevrolet 36.013 199.928
15. 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 36.061 199.662
16. 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet 36.102 199.435
17. 27 Paul Menard Moen/Menards Chevrolet 36.117 199.352
18. 55 David Ragan Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 36.184 198.983
19. 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 36.279 198.462
20. 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 36.294 198.380
21. 16 Greg Biffle Safety-Kleen Ford 36.324 198.216
22. 33 Ty Dillon(i) Nexium 24Hr Chevrolet 36.330 198.183
23. 31 Ryan Newman Quicken Loans Chevrolet 36.340 198.129
24. 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 36.440 197.585
25. 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s Chevrolet 36.599 196.727
26. 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford 36.605 196.694
27. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet 36.630 196.560
28. 7 Alex Bowman Racing-Rewards.com Chevrolet 36.657 196.415
29. 40 Landon Cassill(i) CarsForSale.com Chevrolet 36.660 196.399
30. 9 Sam Hornish, Jr. Medallion Bank Ford 36.788 195.716
31. 47 A.J. Allmendinger Kroger/Hungry Jack Chevrolet 36.812 195.588
32. 15 Clint Bowyer Chrry5HrEnrgy/SpclOprtnsWrrrFndtn Toyota 36.814 195.578
33. 17 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Fastenal Ford 36.814 195.578
34. 38 David Gilliland Love’s Travel Stops Ford 36.831 195.487
35. 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet 36.984 194.679
36. 51 Justin Allgaier Switch Hitch Chevrolet 37.104 194.049
37. 34 Brett Moffitt # Dockside Logistics Ford Owner Points
38. 26 Jeb Burton # Maxim Toyota Owner Points
39. 98 Josh Wise Ford Owner Points
40. 35 Cole Whitt Speed Stick Ford Owner Points
41. 23 J.J. Yeley(i) Dr Pepper Toyota Owner Points
42. 32 Mike Bliss(i) Skuttle Tight/CorvetteParts.net Ford Owner Points
43. 83 Matt DiBenedetto # Burger King Toyota Owner Points
Did Not Qualify:
# 62 Brendan Gaughan(i).
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
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