Kobalt Tools 500k Qualifying
STEWART-HAAS RACING
Kobalt Tools 500k Qualifying
Date: Nov. 12, 2010
Event: Kobalt Tools 500k Qualifying (Round 35 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Phoenix International Raceway (1-mile oval)
Pole Winner: Carl Edwards of Roush Fenway Racing (26.395 seconds at 136.389 mph)
SHR Lineup: Ryan Newman (18th, 26.683 seconds at 134.917 mph)
Tony Stewart (20th, 26.702 seconds at 134.821 mph)
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army Veterans Day Chevrolet Impala, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent in time trials at Phoenix International Raceway by qualifying 18th for Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Newman turned a lap of 26.683 seconds at 134.917 mph on the 1-mile oval.
“I’m surprised we ended up where we did after having a poor qualifying draw (seventh) and no power steering,” said Newman, who won the April race at Phoenix to score his first win in the No. 39 Chevrolet. “We felt our U.S. Army Veterans Day Chevrolet was going to post a good number, but we had too much to overcome. We had a good practice today and I was happy with the car in race trim. We’ll tweak this cool-looking Army car during tomorrow’s practices and get it ready for Sunday.”
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala for SHR, will start 20th after turning a lap of 26.702 seconds at 134.821 mph.
“Just didn’t have the kind of grip I thought we would,” said Stewart, who won at Phoenix in November 1999. “The Old Spice/Office Depot Chevy was really good in practice. We ended up third-quick, so we were expecting good things in qualifying. That lap was certainly not indicative of the car we have. We’ll have some more track time tomorrow to get it right.”
Carl Edwards captured his seventh career Sprint Cup pole, his third of the season and his second at Phoenix by posting a lap of 26.395 seconds at 136.389 mph.
A.J. Allmendinger will start on the outside of row one as he timed in at 26.422 seconds at 136.250 mph. Kurt Busch was third (26.424 seconds at 136.240 mph), while Greg Biffle (26.521 seconds at 135.741 mph) and Jamie McMurray (26.536 seconds at 135.665 mph) rounded out the top-five.
Forty-six drivers attempted to qualify for the Kobalt Tools 500k. Those not making the cut in the 43-car field were Michael McDowell, Jason Leffler and Joe Nemechek.
As far as manufacturers went, Ford swept the front row thanks to the efforts of Edwards and Allmendinger. Dodge was next best at the hands of Busch, while the top Chevrolet came via McMurray. Carrying the flag for Toyota was sixth-quick David Reutimann (26.559 seconds at 135.547 mph).
The Kobalt Tools 500k, the penultimate race of the 2010 season, gets underway at 3 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 14 with live coverage provided by ESPN beginning with a pre-race show at 2 p.m.
-SHR-
