Kasey Kahne made big news again this week, but this time it was for winning the pole at Michigan International Speedway for the second time. It was his 18th career Sprint Cup pole.
Earlier this week it was announced that he’d be driving a Red Bull Racing Toyota next year ending a summer of uncertainty.
“I think it is nice to have that done with and know for myself where I am going. I can focus on the end of the year with the Bud team and Richard Petty Motorsports,” he said.
“I think we had a good draw,” said Kahne. “Going out late was good. The clouds come out and it changes the track and it changes it quick.”
“Coming to the green I felt like I was a little bit free. It was the same through one and two and I carried a lot of speed down the back stretch. When I got to turn three I couldn’t get it to turn enough and I kind of just floored it and used a lot of the race track. I definitely didn’t have as good of a three and four as I would have liked and at that point I felt like I had probably given the pole away. We were able to hang on from the speed we had in one and two.”
Kahne turned a lap of 187.183 mph in a Ford.
Jimmie Johnson, the four-time and defending Sprint Cup champion was second quick in a Chevrolet at 187.086 mph around the two-mile oval.
“I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was in turn four and when I committed to the throttle, I expected the car to push and head to the wall, and it turned, and I thought, ‘Man, I could’ve gotten into the gas a little harder,’ and lose it to Kasey by two-hundredths of a second, really, you can look anywhere around the track or a gust of wind to look at that. I felt like it was almost a perfect lap,” Johnson said.
Clint Bowyer was third in another Chevrolet. “It was a well-needed run. Obviously, these are important times for us, the situation we’re in racing for this Chase spot. Starting up front at a big race track like this, being in that clean air, having an opportunity at a good pit stall, it’s just goes a long ways towards a good run on Sunday,” he said. Tony Stewart was fourth fastest.
Canadian Patrick Carpentier, put Bill Jenkins’ No 26 Air Guard Ford in the show in 25th.
Mike Bliss, J.J. Yeley, Scott Riggs and Casey Mears failed to qualify.
Earlier this week it was announced that he’d be driving a Red Bull Racing Toyota next year ending a summer of uncertainty.
“I think it is nice to have that done with and know for myself where I am going. I can focus on the end of the year with the Bud team and Richard Petty Motorsports,” he said.
“I think we had a good draw,” said Kahne. “Going out late was good. The clouds come out and it changes the track and it changes it quick.”
“Coming to the green I felt like I was a little bit free. It was the same through one and two and I carried a lot of speed down the back stretch. When I got to turn three I couldn’t get it to turn enough and I kind of just floored it and used a lot of the race track. I definitely didn’t have as good of a three and four as I would have liked and at that point I felt like I had probably given the pole away. We were able to hang on from the speed we had in one and two.”
Kahne turned a lap of 187.183 mph in a Ford.
Jimmie Johnson, the four-time and defending Sprint Cup champion was second quick in a Chevrolet at 187.086 mph around the two-mile oval.
“I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was in turn four and when I committed to the throttle, I expected the car to push and head to the wall, and it turned, and I thought, ‘Man, I could’ve gotten into the gas a little harder,’ and lose it to Kasey by two-hundredths of a second, really, you can look anywhere around the track or a gust of wind to look at that. I felt like it was almost a perfect lap,” Johnson said.
Clint Bowyer was third in another Chevrolet. “It was a well-needed run. Obviously, these are important times for us, the situation we’re in racing for this Chase spot. Starting up front at a big race track like this, being in that clean air, having an opportunity at a good pit stall, it’s just goes a long ways towards a good run on Sunday,” he said. Tony Stewart was fourth fastest.
Canadian Patrick Carpentier, put Bill Jenkins’ No 26 Air Guard Ford in the show in 25th.
Mike Bliss, J.J. Yeley, Scott Riggs and Casey Mears failed to qualify.