Kes Scores Knockout For Phoenix Pole

NASCAR debuted its new knockout qualifying format on Friday afternoon at Phoenix International Raceway and it could not have gone better for Brad Keselowski.

Debuting the new Alliance Truck Parts Yellow Deuce, Brad took the pole for Sunday’s The Profit on CNBC 500 at PIR with a new track record time of 25.828 seconds at 139.28 mph. The lap was just .022 seconds faster than the best lap of teammate Joey Logano, who will start beside Brad on the front row.

“We had a really fast car, and there is some pride to be taken in being the first one to win a Sprint Cup pole in this format,” Brad said. “I am sure it will undergo a few adjustments along the way, but it is very rewarding and a testament to my team and how fast of a car they gave me. Then it was just a matter of executing on my end. We were able to do that. I didn’t think I ran a good enough lap to be quite honest. When they told me the time, I said, ‘Alright, I will take it.'”

NASCAR’s new format changes the way cars qualify for races other than the Daytona 500. The qualifying session begins as a 30-minute free-for-all with the top 12 cars from that session advancing to a 10-minute session where they compete to earn the pole.

At the outset of the first session at about 4:40 p.m. local time, both Team Penske drivers noticed a cloud hovering over the race track, cooling down the track and giving it more grip, which generally leads to faster qualifying times. Both BK and Logano took full advantage racing out to get their laps in under the cloud.

Brad went first and nabbed the top spot early, with a run of 26.040 seconds at 138.25 mph. He was soon topped by Logano, who posted a time of 25.929 seconds at 138.84 mph. After kicking off the session with two of the fastest times, both drivers opted to return to pit road and see if their laps would stand up. For 25 minutes they waited, and no one was able to top them.

BK said he wasn’t sure how much credit was due to strategy, but he pointed to the quickness of his No. 2 car as a difference maker.

“I think you have to have a fast car, that’s the most important part, either way,” he said. “Everybody on the Alliance Truck Parts Ford team did a good job of

[giving me] that.”

Following the 30-minute first segment, the field waited out a mandatory 10-minute cool down period. The timing allowed both the No. 2 and the No. 22 cars cool off for more than half an hour. When each took the track again, it was clear how advantageous that period was. Brad posted a great time on his first lap, but Logano once again topped him, breaking the old track record.

However, BK would have the last laugh, making his last tour around the track at Phoenix International Raceway in 25.828 seconds, the best ever run there. Logano tried to top the mark later in the session, but Brad’s time and speed held up. Afterward, Logano congratulated his teammate while crediting the hard work of all the people at Team Penske for allowing both drivers to start on the front row this Sunday.

“You have to be happy for him, as a teammate. We’re 1-2, that’s good. But after you win the first segment it’s like ‘alright, I feel pretty good.’ I think I even went a little faster the second run,” Logano said. “He just barely beat me. But overall, Team Penske did a great job today.”

Brad was just happy to take the top spot after coming so close multiple times over the last two weeks at Daytona with second place finishes in the Sprint Unlimited and Drive4COPD 300, and a third place run in the Daytona 500.

“At Daytona, we had two great cars and two strong runs,” he said. “I swear, I was tired of finishing second or third. So it’s good to finally put a first up on the board, and in the first group qualifying. That’s pretty neat as well.”

Brad gets two more practice sessions on Saturday to gear up for this week’s race. The first is at 11 a.m. ET with Happy Hour following that at 2 p.m. ET. Both sessions can be seen on Fox Sports 1. Brad’s busy Saturday at PIR also includes Nationwide Series qualifying at Noon ET on Fox Sports 1 and the Nationwide Series Blue Jeans Go Green 200 presented by Cotton, The Fabric of Our Lives at 3:30 ET on ABC.

Sunday is all about the Cup Series and coverage of The Profit on CNBC 500, Presented by Small Business Fueling America, begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, with the green flag scheduled to fly shortly after 3 p.m. ET.

RELATED LINKS

• Keselowski wins Coors Light Pole Award (NASCAR.com, February 28, 2014)