Geico 400 Qualifying Report
STEWART-HAAS RACING
Geico 400 Qualifying Report
Date: Sept. 17, 2011
Event: Geico 400 Qualifying (Round 27 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. (1.5-mile oval)
Pole Winner: Matt Kenseth with Roush Fenway Racing (29.469 seconds at 183.243 mph)
SHR Lineup: Ryan Newman (4th, 29.507 seconds at 183.007 mph)
Tony Stewart (26th, 29.828 seconds at 181.038 mph)
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army Medicine Chevrolet Impala, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent in time trials at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., by qualifying fourth for Sunday’s Geico 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Newman turned a lap of 29.507 seconds at 183.007 mph on the 1.5-mile oval.
“I had a heck of a lap going until I got down into turn three and hit the bump that tossed the nose a little bit. Really proud of the guys on the U.S. Army Medicine Chevrolet,” said Newman, who won at Chicagoland in 2002 and has five top-10 finishes in nine career Sprint Cup starts at the racetrack. “It was a good team effort, a good way to start the Chase, and I think we have a good car for the race tomorrow.”
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala for SHR, will start 26th after turning a lap of 29.828 seconds at 181.038 mph.
“We were pretty good in (turns) one and two, but I didn’t get all I could get out of it, and we were tight in (turns) three and four,” said Stewart, who has two wins (2004 and 2007) and only three finishes outside the top-five in 10 career Sprint Cup starts at Chicagoland. “Still, it was much better than we were yesterday. Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer, so that will help us some more.”
Matt Kenseth captured his sixth career Sprint Cup pole, his second of the season and his first at Chicagoland by posting a lap of 29.469 seconds at 183.243 mph.
Paul Menard will start on the outside of row one as he timed in at 29.488 seconds at 183.125 mph. Kurt Busch was third (29.503 seconds at 183.032 mph), while Newman and Carl Edwards (29.522 seconds at 182.914 mph) rounded out the top-five.
Forty-seven drivers attempted to qualify for the Geico 400. Those not making the cut in the 43-car field were Travis Kvapil, David Starr, Stephen Leicht and Mike Skinner.
As far as manufacturers went, Ford took the top spot via Kenseth’s pole run. Chevrolet was next best at the hands of Menard. Dodge was the third-fastest make thanks to Busch, while eighth-quick Brian Vickers (29.575 seconds at 182.587 mph) carried the flag for Toyota.
The Geico 400 gets underway at 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday with live coverage provided by ESPN beginning with its pre-race show at 1 p.m.
-SHR-
