Pure Michigan 400 Qualifying
STEWART-HAAS RACING
Pure Michigan 400 Qualifying
Date: Aug. 19, 2011
Event: Pure Michigan 400 Qualifying (Round 23 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Pole Winner: Greg Biffle of Roush Fenway Racing (37.826 seconds at 190.345 mph)
SHR Lineup: Ryan Newman (3rd, 37.980 seconds at 189.573 mph)
Tony Stewart (18th, 38.298 seconds at 187.999 mph)
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 WIX Filters Chevrolet Impala, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent in time trials at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn by qualifying third for Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Newman turned a lap of 37.980 seconds at 189.573 mph on the 2-mile oval.
“Our WIX Filters Chevrolet was good today,” said Newman, who has two wins at Michigan – August 2003 and June 2004. “I felt like we had a really good balance, and a pretty good lap, good enough for third, obviously. Just proud of the effort, the guys on the team, (crew chief) Tony Gibson and everybody. Spent the entire qualifying session in qualifying practice. Hopefully, the ‘14’ got a little bit of help from that, and him, in turn, being in race trim, will help us out tomorrow. So, look forward to the rest of the practice session and the race, and it’s nice to have a good starting spot, as well as pit selection.”
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala for SHR, will start 18th after turning a lap of 38.298 seconds at 187.999 mph.
“That’s the best we’ve been here in a while,” said Stewart, who has one win at Michigan, coming in June 2000. “I’m pretty happy with it so far. Darian (Grubb, crew chief) and all the guys on this Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevy have done an awesome job. We struggled with balance here last time, but I’m really happy with the way it’s been all day. It’s not been perfect yet, but it’s been a much, much easier car to drive than what we’ve had here. So I’m pretty happy with it. That’s the best balance that we’ve had all weekend, so far. But you always want to be better than what you are.”
Greg Biffle captured his seventh career Sprint Cup pole, his first of the season and his first at Michigan by posting a lap of 37.826 seconds at 190.345 mph. It was Biffle’s first pole since setting fast time in qualifying at Dover (Del.) International Speedway in June 2008, 117 races ago.
Newman’s track qualifying record of 37.069 seconds at 194.232 mph, set in June 2005, remained intact.
Biffle’s Roush Fenway Racing teammate, Matt Kenseth, will start on the outside of row one as he timed in at 37.853 seconds at 190.209 mph. Newman was third while the winner of this year’s June visit to Michigan, Denny Hamlin, qualified fourth (38.036 seconds at 189.294 mph). Mark Martin (38.057 seconds at 189.190 mph) rounded out the top-five.
Forty-six drivers attempted to qualify for the Pure Michigan 400. Those not making the cut in the 43-car field were Johnny Sauter, Erik Darnell and T.J. Bell.
As far as manufacturers went, Ford swept the front row via the runs made by Biffle and Kenseth. Chevrolet was next best at the hands of Newman. Toyota was the third-fastest make thanks to Hamlin, while sixth-quick Brad Keselowski (38.094 seconds at 189.006 mph) carried the flag for Dodge.
The Pure Michigan 400 gets underway at 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday with live coverage provided by ESPN beginning with its pre-race show at noon.
-SHR-
