LAS VEGAS, Nev. – While Las Vegas native Kurt Busch earned his second straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole for Sunday’s Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, several drivers earned strong starting positions for the third race of the season.
For the second consecutive week, Austin Dillon qualified inside the top-10, but on Friday afternoon, Dillon’s No. 3 Dow Energy & Water / Intellifresh Chevrolet, the Richard Childress Racing driver earned his first top-five starting spot of the year.
Dillon in his third full-time year of Sprint Cup competition is off to a fast start. After earning a top-10 finish in the season-opening Daytona 500, Dillon finished 11th last Sunday, giving the 2013 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion high hopes for Sunday’s race.
“Moving up in (Turns) 1 and 2 definitely helped me,” said Dillon “I was running the bottom kind of fighting the car through there. It just was easier through the bumps when I moved up. I wish I would have done it a round before because I could have maybe got a little bit more there. Just proud of my team.
“We had to fight back from the beginning. We made a big mistake that first run. The cowl cover was on. I ran around there wide open. I said ‘the motor ain’t running’. We found it and we came in. Good recovery. We know to make a bigger cowl cover so we can see it next time. Good run for the Dow Chevy. I’m proud of these guys. Each week we keep making the third round and we are going to have a pole by the end of the year.”
After struggling initially during the first round of Sprint Cup Series qualifying, Kevin Harvick persevered and made it to the final round of time trials, despite having more laps on his tires than of his competitors.
Reportedly battling the flu this weekend in Las Vegas, Harvick will start sixth on Sunday, looking to repeat his Kobalt 400 title. Currently second in the championship standings, Harvick has opened up his season with two top-10 finishes including a sixth last Sunday at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.
Last March, the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion earned one of his three victories of the year at the 1.5-mile oval. Statistically speaking, Las Vegas has been a solid race track for the Stewart-Haas Racing driver. In 15 prior starts, Harvick maintains an average finish position of 14th.
Showing some early weekend speed during the open test session at Las Vegas on Thursday, Kasey Kahne backed up his strong practice run of fifth and will earn his best starting spot of the season and fastest of the Hendrick Motorsports group.
Kahne is looking for his first top-10 finish of the season and solid recovery after a disappointing 23rd place finish last weekend at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway. The No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet driver was fastest among the HMS camp.
Also, A.J. Allmendinger will start 12th on Sunday shattering his season-best of 22nd last weekend at Atlanta. Although yet to post a top-20 finish in 2016, the starting position is encouraging for JTG-Daugherty Racing.
The consensus among many of the drivers is whether the wind will play a factor in the Kobalt 400. With the forecasters predicting gusty winds during the race, the winner may not have the fastest car, but hit the jackpot for handling, especially in whirling conditions.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
