Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch qualified fourth on Friday for Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, then bested that starting spot with a pole-winning run on Saturday for the Nationwide Series race.
Busch, driving the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series Subway Fresh Fit 500 on Sunday, ran a lap of 137.673 mph (26.149 seconds) to set up on the outside of Row 2 behind pole sitter Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson. Denny Hamlin, in the No. 11 Fed Ex Ground Toyota, will start eighth following his qualifying lap of 136.924 mph (26.292 seconds), while Matt Kenseth starts the No. 20 Husky Tools Toyota from the ninth position after his lap of 136.882 mph (26.300 seconds).
In Nationwide Series qualifying, Busch took the pole for the Dollar General 200 in the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota for JGR following his lap of 133.057 mph (27.056 seconds). He’ll start next to his JGR teammate Brian Vickers in the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota, who took the outside pole with a lap of 132.188 mph (27.234 seconds). Kenseth, driving the No. 18 Reser’s Toyota in his second Nationwide Series start of the season, qualified third with a speed of 132.100 mph (27.252 seconds), while Elliott Sadler’s No. 11 OneMain Financial Toyota starts from the 15th position after his qualifying lap of 130.819 mph (27.519 seconds).
The Subway Fresh Fit 500 goes green on Sunday, March 3rd at 1 p.m. MT. The Dollar General 200 takes the green flag Saturday at 2:30 p.m. MT. Stay up-to-date at www.nascar.com and joegibbsracing.com.
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