STP 400 Qualifying
STEWART-HAAS RACING
STP 400 Qualifying
Date: June 4, 2011
Event: STP 400 Qualifying (Round 13 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (1.5-mile oval)
Pole Winner: Kurt Busch of Penske Racing (30.901 seconds at 174.752 mph)
SHR Lineup: Ryan Newman (12th, 31.144 seconds at 173.388 mph)
Tony Stewart (13th, 31.149 seconds at 173.360 mph)
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent in time trials at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City by qualifying 12th for Sunday’s STP 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Newman turned a lap of 31.144 seconds at 173.388 mph on the 1.5-mile oval.
“I got loose there on the first lap, and we just didn’t get the lap that we had hoped for with our Haas Automation Chevrolet,” said Newman, who won at Kansas in October 2003. “We still ended up with a decent starting spot, and we feel like we have a good car for tomorrow’s race.”
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 THE GLADES/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala for SHR, will start 13th after turning a lap of 31.149 seconds at 173.360 mph.
“We were tight on both ends (of the racetrack),” said Stewart, who has two victories at Kansas (October 2006 and October 2009). “But considering how hot it was when we went out, 13th isn’t that bad. We know what we need to work on and come Sunday we should have a setup underneath THE GLADES/Office Depot Chevy that’ll work well for us.”
Kurt Busch captured his 13th career Sprint Cup pole, his first of the season and his first at Kansas by posting a lap of 30.901 seconds at 174.752 mph.
Juan Pablo Montoya will start on the outside of row one as he timed in at 31.007 seconds at 174.154 mph. Kyle Busch was third (31.020 seconds at 174.081 mph), while Brian Vickers (31.036 seconds at 173.991 mph) and Joey Logano (31.061 seconds at 173.851 mph) rounded out the top-five.
Forty-five drivers attempted to qualify for the STP 400. Those not making the cut in the 43-car field were T.J. Bell and Tony Raines.
As far as manufacturers went, Dodge took the top spot thanks to Kurt Busch’s pole-winning mark. Chevrolet was next best at the hands of Montoya. The top Toyota came via Kyle Busch, and carrying the flag for Ford was seventh-quick Carl Edwards (31.097 seconds at 173.650 mph).
The STP 400 gets underway at 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 5 with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with a pre-race show at 12:30 p.m.
-SHR-
