Harvick Wins Kansas Pole

Getty Images

KANSAS CITY, KS - RIS - Kevin Harvick was fast in all three rounds and went on to win the pole position for Saturday night's KC Masterpiece 400 at Kansas Speedway.  He won the pole with a speed of 188.811 mph. It’s a career-best fourth pole for Harvick at the 1.5-mile track.  It was Harvick's second pole of the year.

Harvick, who won last week at Dover in the No.4 Stewart Haas Ford, will be joined on the front row by Ryan Blaney (187.826 mph), in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford

The top five is completed by Kyle Busch's Toyota, Aric Almirola's Ford, and Brad Keselowski's Ford Almirola’s starting spot is his best of the year.

Jimmie Johnson will start 23rd and Jamie McMurray will start 24th after neither made a lap in Round 2. The Fox Sports 1 broadcast reported Johnson wasn’t comfortable with his car in the first round and didn’t want to risk making any more laps. McMurray’s team couldn’t get his car to start for the second round.

That was after Johnson and McMurray’s teams scrambled to get their cars on the track after having to go through inspection multiple times.

“We intended on running again, but for some reason the engine wouldn’t start,” McMurray said. “The starter would only spin it over for like one revolution and then the starter would disengage.  We really tried hard to get it to start and just couldn’t ever get it to fire again. We will start wherever we are at there and yeah, nothing we could do about it.”

Kyle Larson spun in Turn 4 in Round 2. If the team changed tires on the No. 42 Chevrolet, that would force Larson to start from the rear. It would also be the second consecutive race Larson has had to start from the rear.

Six drivers did not make a qualifying attempt after their cars failed to get through inspection in time. That includes Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth, Matt DiBenedetto, Kasey Kahne, Timmy Hill and Michael McDowell. 

They will all start from the rear of Saturday’s race.

“We’re stuck back there in jail,” Bowyer said. “Pretty bad taste in my mouth right now. It’s hard not to go off because it’s frustrating. You’re sitting there watching the guys. The body was off, they made some adjustments and went back through and then the chassis is off.”

Track Qualifying Record: Kevin Harvick 10/05/14 27.325 197.621
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
Qualifying Round: 3
1 4 Kevin Harvick Busch Light Ford 28.600 188.811 1 1 0.000 0.000
2 12 Ryan Blaney REV Group Ford 28.750 187.826 1 1 0.150 0.150
3 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Caramel Toyota 28.792 187.552 1 1 0.192 0.042
4 10 Aric Almirola Smithfield Prime Ford 28.811 187.428 1 1 0.211 0.019
5 2 Brad Keselowski Alliance Truck Parts Ford 28.916 186.748 1 1 0.316 0.105
6 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota 28.963 186.445 1 1 0.363 0.047
7 78 Martin Truex Jr. 5-hour ENERGY/Bass Pro Shops Toyota 29.001 186.200 1 1 0.401 0.038
8 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Ford 29.002 186.194 1 1 0.402 0.001
9 22 Joey Logano AAA Insurance Ford 29.048 185.899 1 1 0.448 0.046
10 37 Chris Buescher Breyers 2 in 1 Chevrolet 29.080 185.695 1 1 0.480 0.032
11 21 Paul Menard Menards/Atlas Ford 29.115 185.471 1 1 0.515 0.035
12 20 Erik Jones Reser's Toyota 29.169 185.128 1 1 0.569 0.054
Qualifying Round: 2
1 4 Kevin Harvick Busch Light Ford 28.556 189.102 1 1 0.000 0.000
2 12 Ryan Blaney REV Group Ford 28.722 188.009 1 1 0.166 0.166
3 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Caramel Toyota 28.760 187.761 1 1 0.204 0.038
4 10 Aric Almirola Smithfield Prime Ford 28.790 187.565 1 1 0.234 0.030
5 22 Joey Logano AAA Insurance Ford 28.816 187.396 1 1 0.260 0.026
6 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Ford 28.850 187.175 1 1 0.294 0.034
7 20 Erik Jones Reser's Toyota 28.862 187.097 1 1 0.306 0.012
8 78 Martin Truex Jr. 5-hour ENERGY/Bass Pro Shops Toyota 28.882 186.968 1 1 0.326 0.020
9 2 Brad Keselowski Alliance Truck Parts Ford 28.909 186.793 1 1 0.353 0.027
10 21 Paul Menard Menards/Atlas Ford 28.961 186.458 1 1 0.405 0.052
11 37 Chris Buescher Breyers 2 in 1 Chevrolet 29.007 186.162 1 1 0.451 0.046
12 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota 29.013 186.123 1 1 0.457 0.006
13 24 William Byron # Liberty University Chevrolet 29.051 185.880 1 3 0.495 0.038
14 19 Daniel Suarez STANLEY Toyota 29.090 185.631 1 3 0.534 0.039
15 31 Ryan Newman Bass Pro Shops/Cabela's Chevrolet 29.094 185.605 1 2 0.538 0.004
16 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. SunnyD Ford 29.101 185.561 1 2 0.545 0.007
17 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 29.173 185.103 1 1 0.617 0.072
18 47 AJ Allmendinger Kroger ClickList Chevrolet 29.281 184.420 1 1 0.725 0.108
19 88 Alex Bowman Axalta Chevrolet 29.311 184.231 1 3 0.755 0.030
20 38 David Ragan MDS Trucking Ford 29.321 184.168 1 1 0.765 0.010
21 43 Darrell Wallace Jr. # World Wide Technology Chevrolet 29.367 183.880 1 1 0.811 0.046
22 42 Kyle Larson Clover/First Data Chevrolet 0.000 0.000 0 0 ----- -----
23 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's for Pros Chevrolet 0.000 0.000 0 0 ----- -----
24 1 Jamie McMurray Cessna Chevrolet 0.000 0.000 0 0 ----- -----
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
Qualifying Round: 1
1 12 Ryan Blaney REV Group Ford 28.565 189.043 1 1 0.000 0.000
2 4 Kevin Harvick Busch Light Ford 28.569 189.016 1 1 0.004 0.004
3 42 Kyle Larson Clover/First Data Chevrolet 28.618 188.692 1 1 0.053 0.049
4 10 Aric Almirola Smithfield Prime Ford 28.666 188.376 1 1 0.101 0.048
5 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Ford 28.746 187.852 1 1 0.181 0.080
6 21 Paul Menard Menards/Atlas Ford 28.749 187.833 1 1 0.184 0.003
7 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Caramel Toyota 28.760 187.761 1 1 0.195 0.011
8 22 Joey Logano AAA Insurance Ford 28.812 187.422 1 1 0.247 0.052
9 88 Alex Bowman Axalta Chevrolet 28.833 187.285 1 1 0.268 0.021
10 2 Brad Keselowski Alliance Truck Parts Ford 28.841 187.233 1 1 0.276 0.008
11 20 Erik Jones Reser's Toyota 28.841 187.233 1 1 0.276 0.000
12 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. SunnyD Ford 28.879 186.987 1 1 0.314 0.038
13 37 Chris Buescher Breyers 2 in 1 Chevrolet 28.904 186.825 1 1 0.339 0.025
14 19 Daniel Suarez STANLEY Toyota 28.962 186.451 1 1 0.397 0.058
15 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota 28.974 186.374 1 1 0.409 0.012
16 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 28.980 186.335 1 1 0.415 0.006
17 24 William Byron # Liberty University Chevrolet 28.991 186.265 1 1 0.426 0.011
18 31 Ryan Newman Bass Pro Shops/Cabela's Chevrolet 28.995 186.239 1 1 0.430 0.004
19 78 Martin Truex Jr. 5-hour ENERGY/Bass Pro Shops Toyota 29.011 186.136 1 1 0.446 0.016
20 47 AJ Allmendinger Kroger ClickList Chevrolet 29.027 186.034 1 1 0.462 0.016
21 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's for Pros Chevrolet 29.087 185.650 1 1 0.522 0.060
22 43 Darrell Wallace Jr. # World Wide Technology Chevrolet 29.128 185.389 1 1 0.563 0.041
23 1 Jamie McMurray Cessna Chevrolet 29.131 185.370 1 1 0.566 0.003
24 38 David Ragan MDS Trucking Ford 29.132 185.363 1 1 0.567 0.001
25 3 Austin Dillon Symbicort Chevrolet 29.214 184.843 1 3 0.649 0.082
26 13 Ty Dillon Twisted Tea Chevrolet 29.558 182.692 4 4 0.993 0.344
27 72 Corey LaJoie Schluter-Systems Chevrolet 29.943 180.343 1 1 1.378 0.385
28 15 Ross Chastain(i) LowT Center Chevrolet 30.031 179.814 1 1 1.466 0.088
29 23 Gray Gaulding BK Racing Toyota 30.035 179.790 1 1 1.470 0.004
30 * 55 Reed Sorenson Harrah's North Kansas City Chevrolet 30.181 178.921 1 1 1.616 0.146
31 00 Landon Cassill VNH Electric Chevrolet 30.216 178.713 1 1 1.651 0.035
32 51 BJ McLeod(i) PREFUND CAPITAL Chevrolet 30.623 176.338 2 2 2.058 0.407
33 14 Clint Bowyer Haas 30 Years of the VF1 Ford 0.000 0.000 0 0 ----- -----
34 95 Kasey Kahne Tommy Williams Drywall Chevrolet 0.000 0.000 0 0 ----- -----
35 6 Matt Kenseth Wyndham Rewards Ford 0.000 0.000 0 0 ----- -----
36 34 Michael McDowell Love's Travel Stops Ford 0.000 0.000 0 0 ----- -----
37 32 Matt DiBenedetto Can-Am/Wholey Ford 0.000 0.000 0 0 ----- -----
38 * 66 Timmy Hill(i) CrashClaimsR.us Toyota 0.000 0.000 0 0

Ron Fleshman

RIS NASCAR Editor.  Has been with RIS since the middle 90's. Writes on each of the three main series of NASCAR.

Read More on Cup / XFINITY / Truck news
Volume 2018, Issue 5, Posted 9:42 PM, 05.11.2018