Date: Oct. 6, 2016

Event: Qualifying for the Bank of America 500 (Round 26 of 36)

Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Pole Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (27.547 seconds at 196.029 mph) 

SHR Lineup: Kevin Harvick (1st, 27.547 seconds at 196.029 mph)

                  Tony Stewart (5th, 27.660 seconds at 195.228 mph)

                  Danica Patrick (13th, 27.812 seconds at 194.161 mph)

                  Kurt Busch (23rd, 28.095 seconds at 192.205 mph)

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Hunting Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Thursday at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway by winning the pole for Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. It was the 29th Sprint Cup pole for SHR since inception in 2009 and the organization’s third of the season.

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.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Rev the Vote Chevrolet SS for SHR, qualified 5th with a time of 27.660 seconds at 195.228 mph.

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Chevrolet SS for SHR, qualified 13th with a time of 27.812 seconds at 194.161 mph.

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevrolet SS for SHR, qualified 23rd with a time of 28.095 seconds at 192.205 mph.

Harvick led the final round of knockout qualifying by taking the pole with a lap of 27.547 seconds at 196.029 mph. It was his 16th career Sprint Cup pole, his first at Charlotte and his first of the season.

Alex Bowman will start on the outside of row one after clocking in at 27.551 seconds at 196.000 mph.

The 10 other drivers who made it to the final round of qualifying were Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Stewart, A.J. Allmendinger, Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne. All are listed in the order they will start the race.

The Bank of America 500 gets underway at 7 p.m. EDT Saturday with live coverage provided by NBC.

-SHR-