Harvick Takes Pole Position at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala. — A part failure by his teammate almost ruined the day for Kevin Harvick. But when he went back out, he topped the chart. When he pulled his car into victory lane to celebrate winning the Busch Pole Award, he was hugging crew chief Rodney Childers like he’d just won the race.

“It’s just a huge credit to the team and Roush-Yates Engines, and everybody who works on all the super-speedway stuff to make it what it is. Made some huge improvements.”

Harvick earned his 22nd career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole with a final round lap of 49.247 seconds and 194.448 mph.

His first run cut short when he ran over debris left by teammate Aric Almirola, who’d spun out after a piece of the left-rear end broke in Turn 1. Further inspection revealed the debris punctured his left-rear tire.

But NASCAR gave him a new left-rear tire (which is allowed, at their discretion) and he turned the fastest lap in the first round, at 49.291 and 194.275 mph.

Kurt Busch will start second, followed by Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott in the Top-five.

“I have never been on the pole for a plate race,” Busch said, “and I wanted to check that off the list. Thank you, Doug Yates. We wouldn’t be in this position if we didn’t have great horsepower. That is the fun part of our qualifying, showcasing the talent of the engine builder and the way these guys build the aero package. To have two Stewart-Haas cars on the front row is great. We would have loved to gotten the pole but outside pole is great and I am proud of our Monster Energy Ford.”

Erik Jones, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski round out the Top-10 starters.

Alex Bowman and David Ragan round out the 12 drivers that made the final round.

Forty cars will start tomorrow’s race.

Nobody failed to make the event.

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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

Tucker White
Tucker White
I've followed NASCAR for well over 20 years of my life, both as a fan and now as a member of the media. As of 2024, I'm on my ninth season as a traveling NASCAR beat writer. For all its flaws and dumb moments, NASCAR at its best produces some of the best action you'll ever see in the sport of auto racing. Case in point: Kyle Larson's threading the needle pass at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2021. On used-up tires, racing on a worn surface and an aero package that put his car on the razor's edge of control, Larson demonstrated why he's a generational talent. Those are the stories I want to capture and break down. In addition to NASCAR, I also follow IndyCar and Formula 1. As a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, I'm a diehard Tennessee Volunteers fan (especially in regards to Tennessee football). If covering NASCAR doesn't kill me, down the road, watching Tennessee football will. I'm also a diehard fan of the Atlanta Braves, and I lived long enough to see them win a World Series for the first time since 1995 (when I was just a year old). I've also sworn my fan allegiance to the Nashville Predators, though that's not paid out as much as the Braves. Furthermore, as a massive sports dork, I follow the NFL on a weekly basis. Though it's more out of an obligation than genuine passion (for sports dorks, following the NFL is basically an unwritten rule). Outside of sports, I'm a major cinema buff and a weeb. My favorite film is "Blazing Saddles" and my favorite anime is "Black Lagoon."

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