STEWART-HAAS RACING: Autism Speaks 400 Qualifying
STEWART-HAAS RACING
Autism Speaks 400 Qualifying
Date: May 29, 2009
Event: Autism Speaks 400 Qualifying (Round 13 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Dover (Del.) International Speedway (1-mile oval)
Pole Winner: David Reutimann of Michael Waltrip Racing (22.960 seconds at 156.794 mph)
SHR Lineup: Ryan Newman (11th, 23.159 seconds at 155.447 mph)
Tony Stewart (31st, 23.426 seconds at 153.675 mph)
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala SS, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent in time trials at Dover (Del.) International Speedway by qualifying 11th for Sunday’s Autism Speaks 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Newman turned a lap of 23.159 seconds at 155.447 mph on the 1-mile oval.
“We were looking for a better effort than that,” said Newman, who swept both Sprint Cup races at Dover in 2003. “I got a little loose in (turns) one and two and the car kind of washed up (the track) after that. We’re better than what we showed in qualifying.”
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala SS for SHR, qualified 31st. The co-owner of SHR along with Oxnard, Calif.-based Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in the western world – turned a lap of 23.426 seconds at 153.675 mph.
“Once the car slammed down going into the corner, it stayed tight back to the gas,” said Stewart, who swept both Sprint Cup races at Dover in 2000. “But we’ve got all day Saturday to work on it and get it ready for Sunday.”
David Reutimann, who scored his first career Sprint Cup win last week at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C., won the pole for the Autism Speaks 400 with a time of 22.960 seconds at 156.794 mph. It was Reutimann’s third career pole, his second of the season and his first at Dover.
Kasey Kahne will start alongside Reutimann on the outside of row one, as he timed in at 22.997 seconds at 156.512 mph. Juan Pablo Montoya (23.074 seconds at 156.020 mph), Reed Sorenson (23.084 seconds at 155.952 mph) and Greg Biffle (23.087 seconds at 155.932 mph) rounded out the top-five.
Forty-seven drivers attempted to qualify for the Autism Speaks 400. Those not making the cut in the 43-car field were Brad Keselowski, Max Papis, Derrike Cope and David Starr.
As far as manufacturers went, Toyota took the top spot via the pole run made by Reutimann. Dodge was next best at the hands of Kahne. Chevrolet was the third-fastest make thanks to Montoya, and Biffle carried the flag for Ford.
The Autism Speaks 400 gets underway at 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 31 with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 1:30 p.m.
