Field Set For Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas

Kahne was fastest of the fast Friday

It’s race day at Kansas Speedway, with Kasey Kahne on the pole for this afternoon’s Hollywood Casino 400.

Kahne won the pole Friday with a new track record speed of 191.360 mph , on a day when every driver in the 46-car qualifying field bested the previous track record of 180.856 mph. It was Kahne’s fourth pole of 2012 and the 26^th of his Sprint Cup Series career, as he attempts to stay in the hunt for the 2012 Sprint Cup Series championship. The Farmer’s Insurance Chevrolet driver starts today’s race fifth in championship points, 35 behind leader Brad Keselowski.

Mark Martin will start alongside Kahne in second today, followed by Kansas native Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola. The remainder of the Top-10 includes Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick.

Among the other Chase contenders, point leader Keselowski will start 24^th this afternoon, with Greg Biffle 11^th, Matt Kenseth 12^th, Martin Truex, Jr. 15^th, Jeff Gordon 18^th and Tony Stewart 32^nd. Dale Earnhardt Jr., will not race today, as he sits out his second consecutive race after suffering a concussion at Talladega Superspeedway two weeks ago.

 

Photo: Colin E. Braley/AP