NASCAR: 2017 AAA Texas 500 qualifying results – Kurt Busch takes pole
By Asher Fair
Kurt Busch will start on pole in the 2017 AAA Texas 500, the 34th race of the NASCAR Cup Series season and the eighth race of this year’s playoffs.
The 34th race of the 36-race NASCAR Cup Series season, the AAA Texas 500, is set to take place at Texas Motor Speedway this Sunday. The race is the eighth of 10 races in this year’s playoffs and the second of three in the Round of 8.
Seven of the eight Round of 8 playoff drivers will start the race in the top 10, with the only one not set to do so being Chase Elliott, who will start back in 34th place after he did not even make a qualifying attempt.
However, while seven of the eight Round of 8 playoff drivers are set to start the race in the top 10, it was a driver who was eliminated in the Round of 16 who qualified on pole for the race. That driver was Kurt Busch in his #41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.
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Busch’s pole at Texas is his first pole of the season and first in the last 55 races. The 2017 Daytona 500 champion has started from the pole position 21 times in his 18-year Cup Series career, with his 22nd start from the top spot on the grid set to occur this weekend.
Denny Hamlin led all Round of 8 playoff drivers by qualifying in 2nd place. Kyle Busch, the lone driver who is already locked into the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, qualified 5th, and Martin Truex Jr., the points leader, qualified 7th.
Here are the full qualifying results for of the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (Round of 8 playoff drivers in italics):
- Kurt Busch, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
- Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Kevin Harvick, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
- Erik Jones, Toyota, Furniture Row Racing
- Kyle Busch, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Daniel Suarez, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, Furniture Row Racing
- Ryan Blaney, Ford, Wood Brothers Racing
- Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
- Brad Keselowski, Ford, Team Penske
- Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
- Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
- Danica Patrick, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
- Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
- A.J. Allmendinger, Chevrolet, JTG-Daugherty Racing
- Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
- Aric Almirola, Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
- Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
- Clint Bowyer, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
- Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing*
- Landon Cassill, Ford, Front Row Motorsports
- Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, Leavine Family Racing
- David Ragan, Ford, Front Row Motorsports
- Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
- Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, JTG-Daugherty Racing
- Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, Germain Racing
- Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, Go Fas Racing
- Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, TriStar Motorsports
- Joey Gase, Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports
- Ray Black Jr., Chevrolet, Rick Ware Racing
- Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, TMG-Circle Sport Racing
- David Starr, Chevrolet, MBM Racing
- Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
- Matt Kenseth, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
- Joey Logano, Ford, Team Penske
- Trevor Bayne, Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
- Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports
- Corey LaJoie, Toyota, BK Racing
- Gray Gaulding, Toyota, BK Racing
* =qualified for Paul Menard
Next: 10 NASCAR drivers who deserve better rides
The 2017 AAA Texas 500 is set to take place at 2:00 PM ET on this Sunday, November 5th, and it will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network. Which Round of 8 playoff driver, if any, will seal his spot in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in two weeks.