OTHER DROP DOWN

Kurt Busch wins pole in abbreviated Pocono qualifying

Jun 5, 2015, 5:07 PM

Jimmie Johnson waits in his car in the garage at Pocono Raceway during practice for Sunday’s ...

Jimmie Johnson waits in his car in the garage at Pocono Raceway during practice for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race in Long Pond, Pa., Friday, June 5, 2015. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)

(AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Kurt Busch survived NASCAR’s version of bump day to beat the clock and the rest of the field.

Busch turned a lap at 177.599 mph Friday and won the pole at a bumpy Pocono Raceway in a bizarre qualifying session that saw five cars fail to complete a lap in the final round.

Denny Hamlin bobbled and lost control of the No. 11 Toyota as the qualifying clock ticked down, bringing out the red flag. With only 39 seconds left in the third round, NASCAR scrubbed the rest of qualifying. Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Kasey Kahne all failed to record a lap time.

Logano was on the track and seemed poised to nip Busch for the pole until the red flag was waved.

“Because a car spins out and they throw a red flag for it and then you don’t get an opportunity to go out and make a lap, I don’t understand it,” Logano said. “It makes me mad. I don’t get it. We didn’t even have a chance to try to put our car up front.”

The reason: There simply wasn’t enough time left on the clock for the remaining cars to complete a lap under green. Busch’s pole-winning lap was run in 50.676 seconds.

Without turning one final lap, Johnson still posted his best qualifying spot out of the last five races.

“As long as NASCAR is consistent through all three series, then we will take our medicine and just deal with it,” Johnson said. “The weird thing is on the clock, it still says 39 seconds. So, I’m highly confused on many levels. But, we’re starting the best we have in a long time.”

Kurt Busch won his third pole of the season in the No. 41 Chevrolet, and 19th of his career.

Carl Edwards joined Busch on the front row. Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick complete the top five. Dale Earnhardt Jr., trying to become the third driver in Pocono history to win three straight races, will start 20th.

Hamlin’s spin knocked him down to eighth.

“I was going to go for the pole and run as hard as I could and just stepped over the line a little bit,” he said.

Kurt Busch has one win this season with five top 10s, a nice rebound from a three-race suspension that opened the season because of his offseason legal woes.

The drivers not only had to beat the clock, they had to survive bumps that formed in Turn 2, known as the tunnel turn, on the tri-oval track. Drivers complained about the bumps and track president Brandon Igdalsky said there was no way the track could get smoothed out in time for Sunday’s race.

“There’s speed bumps the size that you would put in grocery store parking lots up on top of the track,” Kurt Busch said. “The sooner you get over it, the better you’re going to be. I had to ignore the tunnel turn, and how bad the bumps are there, and get focused on the majority of the race track.”

While some drivers griped, Gordon looked forward to the challenge of maneuvering through or around the bumps on Sunday.

“It might make for a great race and add some unique challenge that we weren’t expecting,” Gordon said.

Busch’s three poles match the second-highest total of his career, and are three shy of the six he had in 2006.

“Today was a big day for this 41 team to develop into a big-time player,” he said.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.
comments powered by Disqus

Other Drop Down

FILE – In this July 25, 2015 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speak...

Arizona Sports

Trump hosts Women’s British Open as Park resumes slam quest

Inbee Park resuming her quest for the career Grand Slam. Teenage prodigy Lydia Ko seeking that elusive first major. Michelle Wie going for victory with an injured left foot.

9 years ago

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, right, motions to Democratic Reps., from left: Peter Barca; ...

Arizona Sports

Wisconsin Assembly approves Milwaukee Bucks arena deal

The Wisconsin state Assembly voted Tuesday to spend $250 million in public funds on a new arena for the Milwaukee Bucks, a deal that both Republicans and Democrats lauded as good for the state and city.

9 years ago

FILE-In this Nov. 13, 2014 file photo former PGA golfer Charlie Sifford sits in the dining room in ...

Arizona Sports

Family of late black golf great accused of $1 million theft

The son and ex-daughter-in-law of late black golf pioneer Charlie Sifford were indicted Tuesday on charges they stole more than $1 million from him.

9 years ago

Tiger Woods watches his tee shot on the 18th hole during a practice round for the Quicken Loans Nat...

Arizona Sports

Michelle Wie limps into her next major

that matched her best result of the year -- she developed a bone spur in her left foot that she attributed to the hilly terrain of Lancaster Country Club.

9 years ago

Lexi Thompson holds the trophy after winning the Meijer LPGA Classic golf tournament Sunday, July 2...

Arizona Sports

Golf’s youth movement means 30 is the new 20

a major -- from an otherwise remarkable record. Ko had never missed the cut in her career until that week at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. A month later, she was never in contention at the U.S. Women's Open.

9 years ago

Tiger Woods smiles as he answers a question during a news conference prior to the start of the Quic...

Arizona Sports

Tiger Woods running out of chances to salvage season

Tiger Woods knows he's played poorly over the past two years. Now, he's facing the prospect of an early end to his season.

9 years ago

Kurt Busch wins pole in abbreviated Pocono qualifying