Brad Keselowski finished last week’s race at Atlanta in front of the field. Apparently, he liked the view because he’ll be there again at the green on Sunday.
Keselowski won the pole for Sunday’s Kobalt 400 with a lap of 27.881 seconds (193.680 mph) in the third round of qualifying. Martin Truex Jr. will start alongside Keselowski on the front row, having turned in a lap three-hundredths of a second slower. It is the 13th pole of Keselowski’s Cup career and first at Las Vegas. It is also his first since Dover last September.
The pole continues the impressive start to the season for Ford. Ryan Blaney qualified his Ford in third. Blaney also set the fastest lap of qualifying (27.814 seconds, 194.147 mph) to top the chart in Round No. 2. Keselowski’s Team Penske teammate Joey Logano will begin the race in the sixth position.
After Blaney, Matt Kenseth will roll off fourth and Kyle Larson will be fifth on the grid Sunday. Following Logano, Kasey Kahne continues his solid start to 2017 with a seventh-place effort. Rookie Erik Jones will start eighth, followed by Jamie McMurray in ninth. Kyle Busch, who set the fastest time in Round No. 1, will start 10th.
Clint Bowyer was the fastest driver to not make it to the final 12. Also among the drivers who didn’t advance to the final round of qualifying were Denny Hamlin in 15th, Jimmie Johnson in 16th and Kurt Busch in 17th. Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified 18th, while Kevin Harvick will start in the 19th position.
Live coverage of the Kobalt 400 will air on Fox at 3:30 pm ET.
Starting Lineup for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Kobalt 400
About the author
Frank Velat has been an avid follower of NASCAR and other motorsports for over 20 years. He brings a blend of passionate fan and objective author to his work. Frank offers unique perspectives that everyone can relate to, remembering the sport's past all the while embracing its future. Follow along with @FrankVelat on Twitter.
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