Pole Report: Gordon, Busch, and Keselowski lead the field to green at Richmond

jeff_gordon_pole_nscs_090613
Photo Credit Streeter Lecka Getty Images for NASCAR
Jeff Gordon has been racing at NASCAR’s top level for 21 years and each year he’s earned at least one pole position. On Friday evening Gordon earned his first pole of the season and broke the record for consecutive years with a pole. The record he broke belonged to racing legend David Pearson. “We know how important making the Chase is. We know how important the one one pit stall is and starting up front. Whoo I can breathe now.”

Gordon won’t have it easy in the opening laps of the Federated Auto Parts 400. He’ll have to contend with Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski who, like Gordon, are fighting for a spot in the Chase. All three drivers have no other choice but to put it all on the line Saturday night because they know what’s on the line. They have all hoisted the trophy at season’s end.

Kurt Busch went out early in qualifying and posted the quickest time, which held until Gordon’s run of 20.674 seconds (130.599 MPH). Busch said, “We will take the cloud cover and we will take those adjustments we made. That lap came out of nowhere. Awesome lap. I don’t know where it will end up, but that is big time team stuff when you are off in practice and you have to throw quite a few changes at it and it makes a good reaction to the changes.”

Tune in Saturday night for the 56th Annual Federated Auto Parts 400 from Richmond International Raceway.

The full starting lineup:
  1. Jeff Gordon
  2. Kurt Busch
  3. Brad Keselowski
  4. Clint Bowyer
  5. Matt Kenseth
  6. Denny Hamlin
  7. Jamie McMurray
  8. Joey Logano
  9. Greg Biffle
  10. Regan Smith
  11. Martin Truex Jr.
  12. Juan Pablo Montoya
  13. Kyle Busch
  14. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  15. Aric Almirola
  16. Mark Martin
  17. Kevin Harvick
  18. Kasey Kahne
  19. Jeff Burton
  20. Brian Vickers
  21. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  22. Paul Menard
  23. David Ragan
  24. Ryan Newman
  25. Casey Mears
  26. Carl Edwards
  27. Josh Wise
  28. Landon Cassill
  29. David Stremme
  30. Michael McDowell
  31. Joe Nemechek
  32. Marcos Ambrose
  33. Travis Kvapil
  34. AJ Allmendinger
  35. David Reutimann
  36. Danica Patrick
  37. David Gilliland
  38. Ryan Truex
  39. Reed Sorenson
  40. Dave Blaney
  41. Tony Raines
  42. Ken Schrader
  43. JJ Yeley
Mike Bliss failed to qualify.
Pole Report: Gordon, Busch, and Keselowski lead the field to green at Richmond Pole Report: Gordon, Busch, and Keselowski lead the field to green at Richmond Reviewed by Katy Lindamood on Friday, September 06, 2013 Rating: 5