Stewart, Edwards qualify 8th, 9th for NASCAR Sprint Cup race
Published 4:00 am Sunday, November 13, 2011
- Driver Matt Kenseth exits his car after qualifying for the pole position for the NASCAR Spring Cup series auto race Saturday in Avondale, Ariz.
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Matt Kenseth had no idea his pole-winning run at Phoenix International Raceway could benefit his championship-contending teammate.
When he found out he had assisted Carl Edwards, Kenseth pretended it was all part of the plan.
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“That was my plan. I thought, ‘Man, if we can sit on the pole, that will really help him,’ ” Kenseth laughed.
Kenseth turned a lap at 137.101 mph on Saturday to win his third pole of the season. It came in a late run, and separated title contenders Edwards and Tony Stewart on the grid.
Before Kenseth’s lap, the two were seventh and eighth on the qualifying list and in line to start side-by-side in today’s race. But Edwards would have been on the outside, and new pavement at Phoenix has prevented the second line from adequately developing.
So when Kenseth wedged his way to the top of the board, Stewart dropped to eighth and Edwards to ninth. It means Stewart will start on the outside of the fourth row, and Edwards will line up on the inside of row five.
“I planned that. I am that good,” Kenseth claimed.
But he actually downplayed the significance of the starting spots of the two championship contenders. Edwards takes a three-point lead over Stewart into the penultimate event of the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
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“The bottom is probably going to be an advantage to get started, but it is still 300 miles and I think at some point in the race every car is going to be in the top groove for a little bit,” Kenseth said.
AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose qualified second and third as Ford swept the top three spots. Mark Martin qualified fourth and Martin Truex Jr. was fifth, followed by Jamie McMurray and David Reutimann.
But the qualifying session was marked by drivers using strong adjectives in reference to the racing surface, which was paved over the summer.
Ambrose said the slick track was “pretty sketchy” and Allmendinger said his lap “was insane.” Jeff Gordon, who won here in February, called the surface “treacherous” after qualifying 23rd.
But Stewart? He didn’t seem all that concerned.
“I didn’t think it was a big drama,” he said. “I am alright if it stays like this for the whole day.”
Well, Stewart, who normally heats up during the hot summer stretch of the schedule, prefers a slick track, right?
“Yeah, I love it,” he smiled.
It could be setting it up for a big Sunday for the two-time NASCAR champion, who already believes he’s got the advantage over Edwards this weekend because the race could come down to which drivers adapt faster to the new surface.
Edwards said after four hours of practice Friday that this race had been a concern.
“I have been a little nervous about coming here not knowing what the track is going to be like and how we are going to stack up,” Edwards said. “But practice went really well and we are really fast. I am excited about it.”
Edwards also got the benefit of extra track time in Saturday’s Nationwide Series race. Stewart was a mere observer, left to watch on TV to see how the racing lines developed.
Both drivers, though, believe they are in control of their own destiny.
Stewart, winner of four Chase races, including two straight, has been operating as if he’s on a mission and can’t be stopped in his bid to become the first driver-owner since Alan Kulwicki in 1992 to win the title.
Also on Saturday:
Hornish Jr. captures first NASCAR win
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Sam Hornish Jr. raced to his first NASCAR victory and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took a big step toward the Nationwide Series season title when Elliott Sadler was taken out late at Phoenix International Raceway. Hornish, a former IndyCar star, passed Stenhouse on a restart midway through the 200-mile race and stayed up front on several restarts to claim his first win in 141 career starts between the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series.
Worsham tops Top Fuel field
POMONA, Calif. — Del Worsham raced to the No. 1 qualifying position in Top Fuel as rain shortened qualifying in the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. Matt Hagan topped the Funny Car field, Mike Edwards took the top spot in Pro Stock and Andrew Hines was the Pro Stock Motorcycle leader in the season-ending event. Worsham powered his dragster to the No. 1 spot early with a 3.773-second run at 320.05 mph. In total, Worsham picked up eight bonus points in qualifying and took the season lead by eight points over Spencer Massey heading into the final eliminations today.
Vettel takes pole at Abu Dhabi GP
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel tied Nigel Mansell’s season record of 14 poles at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on the final lap of qualifying. The Red Bulls driver clocked 1 minute, 38.481 seconds at the Yas Marina circuit, 0.14 seconds quicker than McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton who had dominated the final practice session. Hamilton’s teammate, Jenson Button, will start today’s race third alongside Vettel’s teammate Mark Webber on the second row.