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NASCAR: Kurt Busch takes first Sprint Cup pole of the season at Kansas

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Khatir Soltani
After an unhappy Friday in Kansas, when Kurt Busch damaged the front end of his Penske Racing Dodge, the former Sprint Cup champion bounced back on Saturday to claim his first pole of the year.

“It bent the nose back on the car when we hit the grass,” Busch said. “Normally, with the bump stops and soft front springs, when you spin and go into the grass, it bends the front ends up. We watched Carl Edwards destroy his car after the All-Star Race (during a celebratory slide through the grass).

“I’ve seen guys do harmless spins and have to go to backup cars. We got lucky that we didn’t have to go to a backup.”

Busch averaged 174.752mph, narrowly edging Colombia’s Juan Pablo Montoya who is chasing his first NASCAR Sprint Cup oval win at 174.154 mph in a Chevrolet.

“We only did one qualifying run yesterday and we aborted it. So actually to run as fast as we did today, I’m pretty happy,” said Montoya.

Kyle Busch, Kurt’s younger brother, will start third in a Toyota with an average speed of 174.081mph.

“A lot better than we expected, “said Kyle.

“We’ve been having sort of a struggle this weekend so far, and trying to make something out of nothing here. So far, the guys did a great job going back and working through their notes and giving me something that was good to qualify. Hopefully, this will translate into something better tomorrow.”

Two more Toyotas were fourth and fifth Brian Vickers, and Joey Logano.

Jaime McMurray, Montoya’s teammate, who is from nearby Joliet, Mo ( where tornados struck earlier this week) will start sixth.

Sprint Cup points leader Carl Edwards, also a Missouri native, will start seventh -- the highest of any of the Ford pilots in the field.

Tony Raines and T. J. Bell failed to qualify.

Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
As a car enthusiast, he tests and compares vehicles from different categories through the eyes of the consumer, ensuring relevant and objective reviews.
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada