STEWART-HAAS RACING: LifeLock 400 Qualifying
STEWART-HAAS RACING
LifeLock 400 Qualifying
Date: June 12, 2009
Event: LifeLock 400 Qualifying (Round 15 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Pole Winner: Brian Vickers of Red Bull Racing (38.073 seconds at 189.110 mph)
SHR Lineup: Tony Stewart (11th, 38.482 seconds at 187.100 mph)
Ryan Newman (18th, 38.559 seconds at 186.727 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 Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn by qualifying 11th for Sunday’s LifeLock 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Stewart turned a lap of 38.482 seconds at 187.100 on the 2-mile oval.
“It was a little too free back to the gas,” said Stewart, who won at Michigan in June 2000. “We made some big gains on it in practice, but it’s still too free. We have two more practice sessions tomorrow, so we should be in good shape come Sunday.”
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala SS for SHR, qualified 18th with a time of 38.559 seconds at 186.727 mph.
“We had a solid practice session, but the car got a little free in qualifying,” said Newman, who has two Michigan victories – August 2003 and June 2004. “We were expecting to have a better starting position, but the good news is that you can pass on this track. And that will be our mission on Sunday – to get to the front as quickly as possible.”
Brian Vickers scored his eighth career pole, his third of the season and his second straight at Michigan with a time of 38.073 seconds at 189.110 mph. Busch will start alongside Vickers on the outside of row one, while Jimmie Johnson (38.237 seconds at 188.299 mph), David Reutimann (38.270 seconds at 188.137 mph) and Kurt Busch (38.308 seconds at 187.950 mph) rounded out the top-five.
Forty-four drivers were slated to qualify for the LifeLock 400. The lone driver not making the cut in the 43-car field was Mike Skinner.
As far as manufacturers went, Toyota swept the front row via the runs made by Vickers and Kyle Busch. Chevrolet was next best at the hands of Johnson. Dodge was the third-fastest make courtesy of Kurt Busch. And carrying the flag for Ford was 15th-quick Bill Elliott (38.521 seconds at 186.911 mph).
The LifeLock 400 gets underway at 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 14 with live coverage provided by TNT beginning with its pre-race show at 12:30 p.m.
