Kyle Busch wins the pole for All-Star Race

By Reid Spencer

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

CONCORD, N.C.

Kyle Busch, the last of 18 drivers to make a qualifying attempt, edged Clint Bowyer for the pole for tonight’s Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Now comes the important business of winning the race — something Busch hasn’t been close to doing in five attempts.

Under the unique All-Star Race qualifying format that features three laps and a pit stop, Busch completed the process in 1 minute, 59.191 seconds (135.916 mph) to Bowyer’s 135.377 mph. Greg Biffle was a close third at 134.740 mph.

Carl Edwards (134.236 mph) will start fourth, followed by Mark Martin (133.670 mph), who is driving the No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend, as Jimmie Johnson (who qualified 11th) gets behind the wheel of the No. 5 (to promote a 5-percent rebate program with sponsor Lowe’s).

Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman will start from positions six through 10 in the race that pays $1 million to win.

Busch concedes that the non-points format of the race favors him. Nevertheless, he has failed to finish four of the five All-Star events he’s run.

“This race is a race where everybody says it suits Kyle Busch, and we all know why,” Busch said. “It’s because you can go fast … and you either bring back the steering wheel or the check. Unfortunately, I’ve been highly successful at bringing back the steering wheel. Unfortunately, I have not brought back the check.”

David Ragan won for the pole for the Sprint Showdown, the qualifying race that precedes the main event. Ragan posted a lap at 191.680 mph (28.172 seconds) to edge fellow Ford driver AJ Allmendinger for the top starting spot.

The top two drivers from the Showdown advance to the All-Star Race, in addition to the driver, not otherwise eligible, who wins the Sprint Fan Vote, the results of which are announced between races.

Ragan described transferring into the All-Star Race as “the number one thing on our to-do list right now besides the Daytona 500, which we’ve already run.”

“I think this is the next important race that’s here [on the schedule], because it kind of sets the tone for the [May 29] Coke 600 next week,” Ragan said. “If this car runs well, we’ll be able to bring it back and have a head start for next week.”