Saturday, April 20, 2013

The Frontstretch Newsletter: Kenseth On Kansas Pole: Full Starting Lineup

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!

April 20th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition LXII

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Frontstretch is live at Kansas this weekend! Be sure to all the action through us, and our writers Beth Lunkenheimer and Summer Bedgood as well as photographer Rick Lunkenheimer in the following ways...

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News and Notes from Kansas Speedway
by Summer Bedgood and Beth Lunkenheimer

Matt Kenseth Wins Pole in Kansas

While it initially looked like Fords might dominate Friday afternoon at Kansas Speedway, it was a Toyota that took center stage as speed records were smashed on the 1.5-mile oval. Matt Kenseth, driving his No. 20 Toyota Camry, took the top spot from former teammate Carl Edwards down the stretch to earn the pole position. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. was third, followed by Sam Hornish, Jr., making a strong early push for success in his 2013 Cup Series debut. Kyle Busch rounded out the top-5 starters. Kenseth ran a time of 28.145 seconds, at 191.864 mph, a new track record that was also beaten by Edwards, Stenhouse, and Hornish.

"That was my most exciting pole by far. The car was really good, obviously," Kenseth said. "I struggled a bit this morning. I don't even know what they changed, but they did some great changes. The car had a lot of grip, the motor ran great and the lap felt good."

While Kenseth was celebrating, however, Jeff Gordon was watching his team unload a backup car. While coming off of turn two, his car pitched loose and he backed into the outside wall, wrecking the No. 24 Chevrolet. The car was damaged beyond repair and Gordon will now be forced to start from the rear of the field.

Several other cars brushed the wall during qualifying, including Danica Patrick and Marcos Ambrose. However, Gordon's car was the only one to suffer substantial damage.

The Cup race begins at 1PM ET on Sunday and can be seen on FOX television.

STP 400: Starting Lineup
1) 20 - Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 191.864 MPH.
2) 99 - Carl Edwards, Ford, 191.748.
3) 17 - Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Ford, 191.734.
4) 12 - Sam Hornish, Jr., Ford, 191.401.
5) 18 - Kyle Busch, Toyota, 190.853.
6) 43 - Aric Almirola, Ford, 190.779.
7) 56 - Martin Truex, Jr., Toyota, 190.651.
8) 55 - Mark Martin, Toyota, 190.282.
9) 39 - Ryan Newman, Chevy, 190.221.
10) 15 - Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 190.134.
11) 16 - Greg Biffle, Ford, 190.067.
12) 27 - Paul Menard, Chevy, 189.780.
13) 78 - Kurt Busch, Chevy, 189.534.
14) 1 - Jamie McMurray, Chevy, 189.221.
15) 9 - Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 189.195.
16) 11 - Brian Vickers, Toyota, 189.182.
17) 29 - Kevin Harvick, Chevy, 189.155.
18) 14 - Tony Stewart, Chevy, 189.023.
19) 42 - Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevy, 188.758.
20) 31 - Jeff Burton, Chevy, 188.679.
21) 48 - Jimmie Johnson, Chevy, 188.442.
22) 22 - Joey Logano, Ford, 188.317.
23) 88 - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Chevy, 188.311.
24) 81 - Elliott Sadler, Toyota, 187.996.
25) 10 - Danica Patrick, Chevy, 187.774.
26) 34 - David Ragan, Ford, 187.441.
27) 5 - Kasey Kahne, Chevy, 187.370.
28) 38 - David Gilliland, Ford, 187.279.
29) 98 - Michael McDowell, Ford, 187.272.
30) 13 - Casey Mears, Ford, 186.922.
31) 83 - David Reutimann, Toyota, 186.909.
32) 93 - Travis Kvapil, Toyota, 186.728.
33) 2 - Brad Keselowski, Ford, 186.657.
34) 47 - Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 186.561.
35) 19 - Mike Bliss, Toyota, 186.528.
36) 35 - Josh Wise, Ford, 186.419.
PROVISIONALS
37) 32 - Timmy Hill, Ford, 185.688.
38) 30 - David Stremme, Toyota, 185.650.
39) 33 - Landon Cassill, Chevy, 185.274.
40) 36 - J.J. Yeley, Chevy, 185.185.
41) 51 - Regan Smith, Chevy, 184.818.
42) 7 - Dave Blaney, Chevy, 183.811.
43) 24 - Jeff Gordon, Chevy, wrecked.
DNQ: 87 - Joe Nemechek, Toyota

NOTES: Scott Riggs withdrew before Friday's event in the No. 44 Ford.
- No Hendrick cars are starting inside the top 20. Jimmie Johnson, in 21st was their best qualifying effort. In fact, Ryan Newman, driving for Stewart-Haas Racing (ninth) was the only Bowtie driver to crack the top 10.
- All three Michael Waltrip Racing cars not only qualified inside the top 10, but they clocked in within a tenth of a second of each other.

Fords Stand Out In First Sprint Cup Series Practice

If Friday afternoon's first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice is any indication, a Ford will be in Victory Lane at Kansas Speedway on Sunday. Carl Edwards paced the field at a speed of 192.055 mph in 28.117 seconds, followed by teammate Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in second. Nationwide Series regular Sam Hornish, Jr. was third.

Martin Truex, Jr. was the highest non-Ford in the field, posting a time of 28.202 seconds which was good enough for fourth place in the No. 56 Toyota. Aric Almirola, who came very close to winning his first Sprint Cup Series race last year in Kansas Speedway, rounded out the top 5 followed by Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Juan Pablo Montoya, Marcos Ambrose, and Ryan Newman.

Practice was mostly incident free except for when Kyle Busch ran up the track into the wall. He will have to go to a backup car, but will not need to start at the back of the field unless he changes engines as the wreck happened before qualifying. Busch recovered well from the incident, clocking in fifth and is still expected to be a main contender in Sunday's race.

Rookie Danica Patrick was 33rd in Practice 1.

James Buescher Leads Final Truck Series Practice

Reigning race - and series champion - James Buescher dominated both practice sessions on Friday at Kansas Speedway. Though overall speeds dropped by two seconds, the Turner Scott Motorsports drivers -- Buescher, rookie Jeb Burton and Miguel Paludo -- swept the top 3 positions as they prepare for Saturday morning's qualifying session. Joey Logano and Johnny Sauter rounded out the top 5. Both practices were slowed by just one lone caution, after Spencer Gallagher got caught up in a single-truck spin on the backstretch.

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

by Summer Bedgood

by Mike Neff

Happiness Is ... A Packed Weekend In April
by P. Huston Ladner

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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:

Q: Later this season, Kansas Speedway will host their first-ever major sports car event with a night race for the Rolex Sports Car Series on August 17.  Which race does this event effectively replace?

Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!

Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee:  If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs!  If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE! 

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Coming Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Tracking the Trucks: SFP 250 by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth has all the post-race analysis you need after Saturday afternoon's Camping World Truck Series race from Kansas.

Coming Tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Special Kansas Coverage! by Summer Bedgood, Beth Lunkenheimer, and Phil Allaway

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