Irmãos Kyle e Kurt Busch dividem primeira fila em Bristol

Kyle Busch, que venceu no último final de semana no Texas Motor Speedway, conquistou a pole da etapa de Bristol Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series com uma média de 128,822 mph (207,313 km/h).

Kyle superou seu irmão mais velho, Kurt, que registrou média de 128.804 mph (207,284 km/h) e acabou no segundo lugar do grid. Brad Keselowski (128.282 mph ou 206,444 km/h) terminou em terceiro, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. e e Ryan Blaney completam os cinco primeiros do grid.

Completando o Top 12 estão Kyle Larson, Paul Menard, Alex Bowman, Michael McDowell, Joey Logano, William Byron e Daniel Suarez.

Esta é a terceira vez que os irmãos Busch vão dividir a primeira fila desde que Kyle e Kurt entraram para a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup.

"Ele sempre dizia para todo mundo: 'Se você acha que é bom, espere pelo meu irmão mais novo'", disse Kyle Busch após a classificação. “Adam Stevens (chefe de equipe) e meus rapazes fiaeram um ótimo trabalho na preparação”.

“É bom vir aqui e conquistar o primeiro lugar do grid, mas tenho que ter cuidado para ter um bom carro para a corrida. Todas as vezes que eu larguei na frente, não terminei na frente e toda vez que eu comecei na parte de trás, eu acabei na frente”.

"Estamos tentando mudar as coisas desta vez. Felizmente, temos um carro de corrida rápido para fazer isso”.

Confira o grid de largada da etapa da etapa de Bristol

Cla	#	Piloto	Fabricante	Voltas	Tempo	Diferença	Intervalo	Mph
1	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	3	14.895			128.097
2	41	Kurt Busch	Ford	3	14.897	0.002	0.002	128.079
3	2	Brad Keselowski	Ford	3	14.960	0.065	0.063	127.540
4	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Ford	3	14.961	0.066	0.001	127.532
5	12	Ryan Blaney	Ford	4	14.969	0.074	0.008	127.463
6	42	Kyle Larson	Chevrolet	3	14.985	0.090	0.016	127.327
7	21	Paul Menard	Ford	4	14.993	0.098	0.008	127.259
8	88	Alex Bowman	Chevrolet	3	15.010	0.115	0.017	127.115
9	34	Michael McDowell	Ford	4	15.029	0.134	0.019	126.955
10	22	Joey Logano	Ford	4	15.041	0.146	0.012	126.853
11	24	William Byron	Chevrolet	3	15.053	0.158	0.012	126.752
12	19	Daniel Suarez	Toyota	4	15.153	0.258	0.100	125.916

Round 2

Once again the vast majority of cars waited until the final minutes to make their attempt in the second, 10-minute session.

Kurt Busch came away with the best average lap speed of 129.030 mph – which ended up being the fastest of the session overall. Kyle Busch was second (128.969 mph) and Blaney third (128.322 mph).

Keselowski was fourth and Larson completed the top-five.

Also advancing to the final round were Logano, Byron, Stenhouse, Bowman, McDowell, Menard and Suarez.

Among those who failed to advance to the final round were Erik Jones, Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott, and Darrell Wallace Jr.

“We sat around and waited and then tried to cram everything into the final two minutes,” Johnson said. “That’s not enough time for this many cars to get a clean lap.”

Several drivers said they thought the PJ1 track compound gets more traction once a few cars have driven over it, which is why no one wanted to be the first to take to the track.

Round 1

In a mad dash late in the 15-minute session, Kyle Busch posted the fastest average lap speed of the first round at 128.960 mph.

Kurt Busch ended up second (128.362 mph) and Logano third (127.886 mph). Menard and Blaney completed the top-five.

It was almost three minutes into the session before any driver ventured out on the track to make a qualifying attempt with Gray Gaulding the first to register a speed.

The vast majority of cars didn’t even take to the track until there were less than four minutes remaining.

Among those who failed to advance to Round 2 were reigning series champion Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray and Kevin Harvick.

“I think we were the fifth car (out) and we just needed a little bit more heat in our tires,” said Hamlin, who will line up 25th. “The track was just pretty treacherous there at the beginning. We just ran out of time to make another attempt.”

Harvick, who wrecked his primary car in Friday’s practice session, elected not to make a qualifying attempt and his team continued to work on his backup car.

Regardless of where he would have qualified, Harvick would still have to start Sunday’s race from the rear of the field.