Carl Edwards will start on the pole for Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race after posting the quickest time/speed in qualifying, held just prior to the 90-lap event.
Edwards, the driver of the No. 99 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, made his three laps around this 1.5-mile racetrack and his four-tire pit stop in 1 minute, 50.268 seconds at an average speed of 146.915 mph. Edwards also won the pole for last year's all-star race. He finished 10th in that event.
"This is really cool," Edwards said. "If I don't mess this up, it could be a big night for us."
Edwards is making his ninth all-star appearance. He won the race in 2011.
Kyle Busch will start alongside Edwards on the front row after qualifying in 1:51.118/145.791 mph. It's the fourth time Busch qualified on the front row for this race.
Kevin Harvick will start third, while Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne will roll off fourth through seventh, respectively.
Johnson has won the all-star race a record four times, including victories in 2012 and '13.
On Friday night, Clint Bowyer and A.J. Allmendinger finished 1-2 in the Sprint Showdown (40-lap preliminary race) and Josh Wise was the surprise winner of the Sprint Fan Vote, giving them eligibility for the main event. Bowyer will start ninth, Allmendinger 17th and Wise 19th.
[SportsNetwork.com]
