Date: July 29, 2016

Event: Qualifying for the Pennsylvania 400 (Round 21 of 36)

Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Location: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)

Pole Winner: Martin Truex Jr. (50.211 seconds at 179.244 mph)

SHR Lineup: Tony Stewart (6th, 50.450 seconds at 178.394 mph)

                  Kurt Busch (15th, 50.795 seconds at 177.183 mph)

                  Kevin Harvick (17th, 50.851 seconds at 176.988 mph)

                  Danica Patrick (26th, 51.310 seconds at 175.404 mph)

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway by setting the sixth-fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s Pennsylvania 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Stewart turned a lap of 50.450 seconds at 178.394 mph on the 2.5-mile triangle in the final qualifying round.

Qualifying consisted of three rounds. The first was 20 minutes, with every driver on the track vying to set the fastest lap. The 24 fastest drivers from the first round advanced to the second, 10-minute round and the fastest 12 drivers from that session advanced to the final, five-minute round where they battled for the pole. Positions 1-12 were set by speeds in the final round. Positions 13-24 were set by speeds in the second round. The remaining 40-car field was set by speeds posted by those who did not advance past the first round.

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevrolet SS for SHR, qualified 15th with a time of 50.795 seconds at 177.183 mph.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS, qualified 17th with a time of 50.851 seconds at 176.988 mph.

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for SHR, qualified 26th with a time of 51.310 seconds at 175.404 mph.

Martin Truex Jr. led the final round of knockout qualifying by taking the pole with a lap of 50.211 seconds at 179.244 mph. It was his 10th career Sprint Cup pole, his first at Pocono and his third of the season.

Carl Edwards will start on the outside of row one after clocking in at 50.315 seconds at 178.873 mph.

The 10 other drivers who made it to the final round of qualifying were Paul Menard, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Stewart, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon. All are listed in the order they’ll start the race.

The Pennsylvania 400 gets underway at 1:30 p.m. EDT Sunday with live coverage provided by NBCSN.  

-SHR-