Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods Qualifying
STEWART-HAAS RACING
Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods Qualifying
Date: Oct. 2, 2009
Event: Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods (Round 29 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (1.5-mile oval)
Pole Winner: Mark Martin of Hendrick Motorsports (30.724 seconds at 175.758 mph)
SHR Lineup: Tony Stewart (5th, 30.850 seconds at 175.041 mph)
Ryan Newman (30th, 31.196 seconds at 173.099 mph)
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala SS, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent in time trials at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City by qualifying fifth for Sunday’s Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Stewart turned a lap of 30.850 seconds at 175.041 mph around the 1.5-mile oval.
“For drawing first in qualifying, I think these were the best track conditions we could’ve asked for at that time,” said Stewart, who has one Sprint Cup win at Kansas (October 2006). “The wind was obviously a variable during the session, and when some guys went out it was a little calmer than it was when others were on the track. We had a solid day. We were fifth in practice and we’re a top-five car here.”
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala SS for SHR, qualified 30th with a time of 31.196 seconds at 173.099 mph.
“The car was real loose, especially in turns one and two,” said Newman, who won at Kansas in October 2003. “We had a strong practice, but didn’t repeat it during qualifying. It’s frustrating, but we’ll bounce back and work even harder to get this U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevy to the front on Sunday.”
Mark Martin captured his 48th career Sprint Cup pole, his seventh of the season and his first at Kansas with a time of 30.724 seconds at 175.758 mph. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., will start alongside Martin on the outside of row one, as he timed in at 30.808 seconds at 175.279 mph. Brad Keselowski (30.821 seconds at 175.205 mph) was third, while Jamie McMurray (30.822 seconds at 175.200 mph) and Stewart rounded out the top-five.
Forty-six drivers attempted to qualify for the Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods. Those not making the cut in the 43-car field were David Gilliland, Michael McDowell and Kevin Hamlin.
As far as manufacturers went, Chevrolet took the top three spots via the runs made by Hendrick Motorsports’ trio of Martin, Earnhardt and Keselowski. Ford was next best at the hands of McMurray. Dodge was the third-fastest make thanks to sixth-quick Kasey Kahne (30.860 seconds at 174.984 mph), and carrying the flag for Toyota was seventh-quick Joe Nemechek (30.895 seconds at 174.786 mph).
The Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods – the third race of the 10-race Chase for the Championship – gets underway at 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 4 with live coverage provided by ABC beginning with its pre-race show at 1 p.m.