By Staff report | NASCAR.com
Kevin Harvick topped the leaderboard in all three rounds of Coors Light Pole qualifying, circling Texas Motor Speedway in the final round at 198.405 mph to earn his 19th career pole. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver is also the first repeat pole-sitter this season, having earned the top qualifying spot at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March.
Sophomore Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney was second-fastest, his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford clocking in at 198.020 mph. Blaney also topped opening practice in the Lone Star State earlier today.
Harvick’s SHR teammate Clint Bowyer will start third (198.020 mph), while Team Penske’s Joey Logano (197.759 mph) and Brad Keselowski (197.563 mph) rounded out the top five, respectively. This gave Ford all five of the top starting positions.
Nine cars were unable to make a qualifying lap in Friday’s three-round session after failing to get through pre-qualifying inspection: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Larson, Erik Jones, Chris Buescher, Derrike Cope and Timmy Hill. They will all start from the back of the field in Sunday’s 500-mile event. Busch is the reigning race winner.
Jimmie Johnson brought out the red in the middle of the 20-minute opening round, when he spun and flat-spotted the tires on his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Although he advanced to the second round, he was unable to continue qualifying and will start 24th.
“I think we used up all our luck in Homestead last year,” Johnson joked on pit road. “Glad the Lowe’s Chevy is still in one piece, we’ll fight back from here.”
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to the track Saturday for a pair of practices beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET (FS1).
O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Starting Lineup:
Texas Starting Lineup MENCS C1707_STARTROW
