| | | | | | SHARPIE 500 POLE | Kahne captures pole at Bristol | |
|  | | CIA Stock Photo | The pole, Kahne's second of the season, will hopefully help turn things around for his Gillett Evernham Motorsports team. | | By Amanda Brahler / Sporting News Wire Service BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Kasey Kahne claimed the Bud Pole Award on the newly resurfaced Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday's Sharpie 500.
Kahne claimed the top spot with a fast lap of 119.805 mph. The pole, Kahne's second of the season, will hopefully help turn things around for his Gillett Evernham Motorsports team, which has struggled a great deal this season. The No. 9 Dodge team's best finish over the last five races is 26th on the road course at Watkins Glen.
"The car was good. It was sliding around a little bit just on the hard tire, but the track is really smooth," Kahne said just after his run.
"It's going to be fun. It's a pretty cool track."
Juan Pablo Montoya will start alongside Kahne on the outside of the front row. Montoya also qualified second last month in Indianapolis.
"I got into the corner too slow and came out sideways," Montoya said. "I knew the second lap wasn't going to be faster. All we practiced in the morning was one lap and that was good. It was a little bit on the loose side, and some of the guys were tugging the wheel coming out of (Turn) 4. The last time here we started 30-something . . . so it's half-decent, I guess," Montoya said.
In the spring event here, Montoya had more than enough run-ins with other drivers on the half-mile track, including two-time Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart. But then again, frequent run-ins are what Bristol is about. With the new surface and the resulting added racing groove, the feisty Montoya is looking forward to 500 laps of racing.
"I'm running way high and it worked," he said. "In race trim I tried the bottom and high, and you can run everywhere. Before, if you weren't in the bottom, you stunk. I think it changed a little bit the way you get into the corner."
Roush Fenway Racing teammates Jamie McMurray and rookie David Ragan will line up in third and fourth in Fords, while Toyota's Dave Blaney starts fifth. Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Ricky Rudd, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Burton completed the top 10.
With an eye on those hanging around the 12th and final spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup, 12th-place Kurt Busch qualified 19th while Dale Earnhardt Jr., 13th in points and 163 markers behind Busch, qualified 17th. | | Posted August 27, 2007 , 7:24 am EST
Last Updated August 27, 2007 , 7:27 am EST | | | | | | | | | | |
