STEWART-HAAS RACING: 16th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Qualifying
STEWART-HAAS RACING
16th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Qualifying
Date: July 25, 2009
Event: 16th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Qualifying (Round 20 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Pole Winner: Mark Martin of Hendrick Motorsports (49.436 seconds at 182.054 mph)
SHR Lineup: Tony Stewart (7th, 50.010 seconds at 179.964 mph)
Ryan Newman (17th, 50.193 seconds at 179.308 mph)
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala SS, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent in time trials at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by qualifying seventh for Sunday’s 16th running of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Stewart turned a lap of 50.010 seconds at 179.964 mph on the 2.5-mile oval.
“It was pretty balanced. I was a little bit loose into (turn) two, which has kind of been a common theme during qualifying today,” said Stewart, who won the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard in 2005 and 2007. “You still have to go in there like you know it’s going to stick. I thought it was a good lap. We picked up three tenths from yesterday, so we were happy with that. We’re excited for tomorrow.”
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation/ U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS for SHR, will start 17th after turning a lap of 50.193 seconds at 179.308 mph.
“The car felt good,” said Newman, who grew up in South Bend, Ind., located about three hours north of Indianapolis. “I don’t understand why it didn’t go any faster. The Haas Automation Chevy was really comfortable in race trim yesterday, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do on Sunday.”
Qualifying was delayed nearly four hours after rain moved through central Indiana throughout much of the morning. However, by the time qualifying began around 2 p.m. EDT, the weather consisted of sunny skies, a light breeze and a temperature of 72 degrees.
Mark Martin captured his 45th career Sprint Cup pole, his fourth of the season and his first at Indianapolis by posting a lap of 49.436 seconds at 182.054 mph.
Juan Pablo Montoya, the former CART, IRL IndyCar Series and Formula One driver who won the 2000 Indianapolis 500, will start alongside Martin on the outside of row one, as he timed in at 49.778 seconds at 180.803 mph. Dale Earnhardt Jr., was third (49.843 seconds at 180.567 mph), while 2002 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard 400 winner Bill Elliott (49.901 seconds at 180.357 mph) and David Reutimann (49.940 seconds at 180.216 mph) rounded out the top-five.
Forty-six drivers attempted to qualify for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Those not making the cut in the 43-car field were Sterling Marlin, Max Papis and Derrike Cope.
As far as manufacturers went, Chevrolet took the top three spots thanks to the qualifying efforts of Martin, Montoya and Earnhardt. Ford was next best at the hands of Elliott, while Toyota was the third-fastest make thanks to Reutimann. Kasey Kahne, who qualified eighth, was the top Dodge at 50.037 seconds at 179.867 mph.
The Allstate 400 at the Brickyard gets underway at 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 26 with live coverage provided by ESPN beginning with its pre-race show at 12:30 p.m.
