Kasey Kahne Scores First Career Pole With Hendrick Motorsports

[media-credit name=”Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Kasey Kahne scored the pole today during qualifying for the Kobalt Tools 400 earlier today.

Kahne was one of fifteen other drivers to break the track record as well. Kahne is looking for a boost to his 2012 season. Kahne suffered accidents in both the season-opening Daytona 500 and the Subway Fresh Fit 500 last weekend in Phoenix. Kahne got caught up in one of many big wrecks at Daytona and wrecked on his own at Phoenix early in the race after getting loose off Turn 4. This is Kahne’s third career pole here at Las Vegas.

Kahne ran his first race here in 2004 where he started from the pole. Kahne led 43 laps and finished second to eventual winner Matt Kenseth. He last won the pole in 2007, but suffered a crash late in the race when the 38 car of then driver David Gilliland sucked him around on the outside, putting the then #9 car in the wall. He has one other Top 5 finish at the track and that happened in 2006 when he finished in fifth. How will Kahne do on Sunday?

Hometown favorite Kyle Busch (sort of) will start on the outside of the front row. The reason why I put “sort of” is that I remember last year when his motor exploded, I heard very loud cheers. I felt kinda bad for Kyle that day. He has one victory here which he got in 2009.

Kevin Harvick qualified his #29 Budweiser Chevrolet in third. I’m seeing a new Harvick this year. He is qualifying a lot better here early in the season and he’s running up front. Harvick has never won here at Vegas, but came close in 2004 before running out of fuel, and finished second to Jimmie Johnson in 2010.

Rounding out the rest of the Top 10 included: Earnhardt Jr., Bowyer, Johnson, Stewart, Logano, Biffle, and Martin Truex Jr.

Is it just me or is Joey Logano on fire? Logano has a new crew chief this year in Jason Radcliff, who spent a long period of time serving as the crew chief for Kyle Busch during his Nationwide Series runs. Logano is running better than ever! I see Logano finally making the Chase this season. It is now his time after three seasons under Greg Zipadelli. Zipadelli now is Competition Director at Stewart-Haas Racing.

Defending winner of this race, Carl Edwards, qualified his #99 in the 21st position as his Daytona 500 winning teammate, Matt Kenseth, qualified his #17 Best Buy Ford in 11th.

Edwards is my pick to win this race, but you never know. My dark horse pick for this weekend is going to be Joey Logano. He has really showed me that he is ready to be a threat for the title.

What do you guys think? Follow me on Twitter. http://www.twitter.com/SirRyanTheOHara or email me rosharppromotions@gmail.com. Enjoy the race!