Kahne on All-Star Pole
Written by John Davison · May 19, 2006
Kasey Kahne will start on pole for the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, thanks to his combined time of 122.296 sec/132.465 mph in qualifying. Jimmie Johnson will start second, just a fraction of a second slower, with Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeremy Mayfield both penalized for pit stop errors that added 20 seconds to both their times, dropping them to the ninth and final row of the grid.
Dale Earnhardt Jr took to the track first in qualifying for the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge. The unique qualifying format for this race combines a pit stop with the timed laps, the aggregate time determining standings. Penalties are levied for loose lug nuts on wheels changed and for fuel remaining in the teams’ ‘dump cans’ so a perfect pit stop is often the determining factor in starting positions. Earnhardt’s crew had a less-than perfect stop, earning a 20-second penalty which dropped his time to only 143.713 seconds from the raw time.
Jamie McMurray was second on the track, with a clean pit stop for a total time of 128.948 sec/125.632 mph over his timed session. This held up for first only until Carl Edwards’ clean run of 127.438 sec/129.374 mph knocked the No. 99 Ford off the pole.
Reigning champion Tony Stewart was next on the clock, with a slightly better raw time of 124.571 sec/130.045 mph. No penalties were announced from his pit stop to drop his effort off the top of the chart. Kurt Busch, fresh off announcing that his foundation would donate a million dollars to Kyle and Patty Petty’s Victory Junction Camp for a new “Super Dome” indoor athletic complex, had the best time of the evening so far, in spite of his right-front changer having to take a second hit at one lug nut. Busch’s time was a total of 123.235 sec/131.456 mph.
Michael Waltrip turned in a mediocre effort at only 128.547 sec/126.024 mph, in spite of a clean pit stop. Following Waltrip onto the track, Kyle Busch had a time at 125.216 sec/129.376 mph, good for third at this point in the proceedings. Busch’s fellow Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon was next on the track with a 123.798 sec/130.858 mph run that had him second to Kurt Busch for the duration.
Jeremy Mayfield drove his No. 19 Dodge next, putting a raw time of 125.106 sec/129.490 mph on the charts. His time was for naught, as a 20-second penalty dropped him to the bottom of the field. Greg Biffle followed Mayfield onto the track in the No. 16 Ford, with a raw time of 124.294 sec/130.336 mph good for third behind Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon. A clean run and stop confirmed that as the No. 12 Dodge at the hands of Ryan Newman headed onto the track for his qualifying effort. Newman immediately knocked Mayfield out of third with his 124.131 sec/130.507 mph attempt,
Kevin Harvick hit the track next, blasting around for a 125.059 sec/129.538 mph run in the No. 29 Chevrolet.
Jimmie Johnson, winner of the last four races at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (named for his sponsor) went out next, his Hendrick crew sending him out after a 12.2 second pit stop and onto the pole position with a net time of 122.938 sec/131.774 mph with no penalties assessed.
The final four qualifiers included two cars from Jack Roush’ stable of Fords. First on the track was Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 Ford and the Robbie Reiser-headed team sent him back on the track with no penalties after a 12.8-sec stop. Kenseth’s net time of 124.391 sec/130.235 mph was only good for a sixth-place grid position. The sole non-Roush car in the final quartet, Kasey Kahne, took to the track next, a thirteen-second pit stop adding to his time but the youngster more than made up for the minuscule differential in the pits, earning the pole position with a 122.296 sec/132.465 mph effort.
Dale Jarrett’s Robert Yates Racing Ford hit the track as next-to-last qualifier, the No. 88 Fusion out of the pits after a stop of 14.1 seconds and around to stop the clocks at 127.427 sec/127.132 mph, good only for twelfth at this point in the procedure. Final qualifier was Mark Martin, last year’s All-Star winner, in the No. 6 Ford. His crew turned him out of the pits after a 13.8-sec stop for a qualifying effort of 124.198 sec/130.437 mph, putting him in the same position as his car number, sixth.
The starting grid for Saturday’s NEXTEL All-Star will see Kasey Kahne on pole, flanked by Jimmie Johnson. Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon will occupy the second row, Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray the third rowMatt Kenseth and Tony Stewart on row four.
The fifth row will have Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch, Bobby Labonte and Dale Jarrett on the sixth row, Carl Edwards and Michael Waltrip on row seven, Jamie McMurray will start inside Mark Martin on row eight and the only two drivers to receive penalties, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeremy Mayfield will start on the last row, to be followed by the winner of the Open and the driver voted in by the fans.
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