Qualifying For the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
STEWART-HAAS RACING
Qualifying For the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
Date: May 20, 2010
Event: Qualifying For the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (non-points event)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Pole Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (119.191 seconds at 135.916 mph)
SHR Lineup: Tony Stewart (6th, 121.206 seconds at 133.657 mph)
Ryan Newman (10th, 122.046 seconds at 132.737 mph)
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Burger King Chevrolet Impala, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent in time trials at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway by qualifying sixth for Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star race. Stewart’s time of 121.206 seconds at 133.657 mph, which included three timed laps around the 1.5-mile oval with a four-tire pit stop, placed him sixth among the 18 drivers already eligible for the 27th running of the non-points event.
“Our Burger King Chevrolet is really good in race trim,” said Stewart, who has participated in each All-Star Race since joining the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as a rookie in 1999, and won the 2009 All-Star Race. “We just need some luck. We’ve had such bad luck this year with just little things going wrong that I’ve never even seen before, so if we just have a decent night tomorrow, I’ll be happy. I want momentum for the rest of the year.”
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala for SHR, qualified 10th with a time of 122.046 seconds at 132.737.
“We had an OK pit stop, but I didn’t get off pit lane the way I needed to there and that hurt us,” said Newman, who won the 2002 All-Star Race as a Sprint Cup rookie. “We made some really big improvements with the Haas Automation Chevrolet since coming off the truck this afternoon, and I’m just really proud of the guys.”
Kyle Busch captured the pole for the All-Star Race with a time of 119.191 seconds at 135.916 mph. Clint Bowyer will start alongside Busch on the outside of row one, as he timed in at 119.666 seconds at 135.377 mph. Greg Biffle (120.232 seconds at 134.740 mph) was third, while Carl Edwards (120.683 seconds at 134.236 mph) and Mark Martin (121.194 seconds at 133.670 mph) rounded out the top-five.
As far as manufacturers went, Toyota took the top spot via the pole run made by Busch. Chevrolet was next best at the hands of Bowyer. Ford was the third-fastest make thanks to Biffle. And carrying the flag for Dodge was 16th-quick Kurt Busch (123.438 seconds at 131.240 mph).
The All-Star Race gets underway on Saturday, May 21 at 9 p.m. EDT after the undercard Sprint Showdown is completed. SPEED will carry live coverage of both races beginning at 7 p.m., with its “RaceDay” program beginning at 4 p.m.
-SHR-
