M&M’s Racing
Qualifying For the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
Date: May 18, 2012
Event: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Qualifying (non-points event)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Pole Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (119.112 seconds at 136.006 mph)
Kyle Busch qualified on the pole for Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) turned in a time of 119.112 seconds at 136.006 mph, which included three laps around the 1.5-mile oval with a four-tire pit stop.
It is the third time overall and the second consecutive year that Busch has won the pole position for the All-Star Race, as he also started from the pole in 2008 and 2011.
“It was just a whole team effort – that’s what it boils down to,” said Busch, whose best finish in the All-Star Race was last year’s runner-up result. “The guys unloaded with a really good M&M’s Camry today and we just kept playing with some things on what we wanted to do for the race and then what we wanted to do for qualifying. We knew we’d be pretty quick here. We felt like we had a good shot for the pole. Going out last – that always helps. I think we have a little bit of a system going on here for this place – that’s two in a row for us. Just proud of everybody – Dave Rogers (crew chief), Wes (Sherrill, car chief) and everyone on this team for getting it to be a really fast racecar to sit on this pole for the All-Star Race tomorrow night.”
Busch’s JGR teammate – Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry – qualified third with a lap of 120.168 seconds at 134.811 mph.
Looking to join his JGR brethren in the All-Star Race by racing his way into the event via the undercard Sprint Showdown is Joey Logano. Qualifying for the Sprint Showdown consists of just two timed laps, just like qualifying for a regular, point-paying Sprint Cup race.
Logano drove his No. 20 Toyota to a fast time of 28.788 seconds at 187.578 mph to place 13th in the 22-car field.
The Sprint Showdown is conducted prior to the 90-lap All-Star Race, which is made up of five segments consisting of 20 laps, 20 laps, 20 laps, 20 laps and 10 laps. The All-Star Race is open to drivers and owners who have won a race in 2011 or 2012, in addition to All-Star Race winners and Sprint Cup champions from the past 10 years.
Logano will try to get into the All-Star Race by competing in the 40-lap Sprint Showdown. It consists of two 20-lap segments, with the top-two drivers from the final segment advancing into the All-Star Race. In addition, the driver who wins the fan vote will also race in the All-Star Race. In order to be the recipient of the fan vote, the selected driver must finish on the lead lap of the Sprint Showdown and not be one of the top-two drivers.
Busch will start the All-Star Race from the pole, while Ryan Newman will start alongside Busch on the outside of row one, as he timed in at 119.821 seconds at 135.202 mph. Hamlin (120.168 seconds at 134.811 mph) was third, while Greg Biffle (120.420 seconds at 134.529 mph) and Kevin Harvick (120.622 seconds at 134.304 mph) rounded out the top-five.
As far as manufacturers went, Toyota took the top spot via the pole run made by Busch. Chevrolet was next best at the hands of Newman. Ford was the third-fastest make thanks to Biffle. And carrying the flag for Dodge was 19th-quick Brad Keselowski (130.436 seconds at 134.511 mph).
A.J. Allmendinger will start the Sprint Showdown from the pole (28.057 seconds at 192.465 mph), while Martin Truex Jr. (28.265 seconds at 191.049 mph), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (28.272 seconds at 191.002 mph), Jeff Burton (28.467 seconds at 189.693 mph) and Aric Almirola (28.609 seconds at 188.752 mph) completed the top-five.
As far as manufacturers went in Sprint Showdown qualifying, Dodge was first via Allmendinger’s pole-winning time. Toyota was next best care of Truex. Chevrolet’s top driver was Earnhardt, while Ford’s best qualifier was Almirola.
The All-Star Race gets underway on Saturday, May 19 at 9 p.m. EDT after the undercard Sprint Showdown is completed. SPEED will carry live coverage of both races beginning at 7 p.m., with its “RaceDay” program beginning at 4 p.m.
