Photo by: Ashley Dickerson, ASP Inc.
The NASCAR Nationwide Series saved the best for last during pole qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday for the O’Reilly auto Parts Challenge to be held at the track on Saturday. The No. 2 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet made a lap in 28.978 seconds to give Sadler the pole starting spot. It was his 11th-career pole.
“Just got him (Kyle Busch), just got enough.
“Just got him (Kyle Busch), just got enough,” Sadler said soon after his qualifying run.
The Joe Gibb Racing duo of Kyle Busch in the No. 18 Toyota and Joey Logano in the No. 20 Toyota were the only other drivers to turn in qualifying laps under 29 seconds. Busch’s lap time of 18.982 was good enough for second starting spot, and Logano qualified third with a 28.995-second lap.
“Having a good race car means a lot,” Busch said. “When you run wide open and give it all she’s got, that’s all she’s got.”
Busch’s No. 18 was the 37th car out on the track of the 48 that made qualifying attempts. He held the provisional pole almost to the end until Sadler went out and took the top starting spot from him.
Ricky Stenhouse qualified the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford fifth, with a lap time of 29.011 seconds. Clint Bowyer rounded out the top five with a 29.044-second lap in the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet.
The go-or-go home drivers hoping to claim positions on the starting grid had to wait through almost the entire qualifying session to learn their fates, as go-or-go home drivers were sprinkled throughout the qualifying order. Trevor Bayne in the No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford and Sam Hornish Jr. in the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge were among the last five to make qualifying laps.
Jeff Green’s lap of 30.457 seconds in the No. 44 Tri-Star Motorsports Chevrolet wasn’t enough to get him into the race on speed, but he was able to fall back on the past champion’s provisional to get in.
The drivers who didn’t make the race include Dennis Setzer, Johnny Chapman, Matt Carter, Mark Green and Erik Darnell.
Be part of Motorsport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Harvick's No. 29 throwback is Lionel's top-selling diecast of 2023
Cup drivers Berry, Preece join KHI Late Model program
Kevin Harvick's "great ride" comes to close at Phoenix
New compound to thwart Porsche’s inspired Long Beach ‘no tires’ call
Newgarden fastest in rain-shortened first day of Indy 500 Open Test
Why Penske remains ambitious for its WEC learning year
Latvala: Neuville, Evans tied for WRC Croatia lead "something special"
Streets of Long Beach receive changes ahead of the IMSA, IndyCar doubleheader
The Chinese Grand Prix's Chaotic Return and Cloudy Future
Kirkwood: “More durable” tires hindering passing on street circuits in 2024
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments