Penulis
Driver breaks four-year shaft dry spell with solid qualifying exertion
Greg Biffle appeared suddenly.
Winless since 2013 and without a NASCAR Sprint Container Arrangement shaft following the fall Charlotte race in 2012, the driver of the No. 16 Roush Fenway Dashing Passage burned Daytona Worldwide Speedway on Friday to assert the top beginning spot for Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 (at 7:45 p.m. ET on NBC).
In the second and last round of knockout qualifying, Biffle visited the 2.5-mile restrictor-plate track in 46.643 seconds (192.955 mph) to wrestle the Coors Light Post Recompense from previous RFR colleague Carl Edwards (192.748 mph) by .050 seconds.
The post was Biffle's second at a plate track, the main coming when he drove the field to green in the 2004 Daytona 500, not exactly eight months after Biffle won the main plate race of his vocation—the 2003 Coke Zero 400. Both were profession firsts for the Biff.
On the whole, Biffle has won 13 shafts in the NASCAR Sprint Glass Arrangement, however Friday's was especially critical in light of the help it give his association, which has been battling for as long as couple of years to discover speed in the wake of the takeoff of veterans Matt Kenseth and Edwards to Joe Gibbs Hustling.
"It is an immense certainty developer, and leaving here with a decent complete, that is a considerable measure of energy for the group," Biffle said.
"Qualifying on the post, getting a decent run and proceeding onward to the following race—we require that."
"We require those great completions and energy and consolation. Winning the shaft is all grins on those folks pushing the auto up there and getting the photos. They're pumped at this moment. We'll be prepared to go tomorrow night."
In a reinforcement auto with no practice laps due to a disaster area in Saturday morning's practice, Kyle Busch (192.336 mph) qualified third.
Biffle's buddy, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (192.320 mph), earned the fourth beginning spot, trailed by Brad Keselowski (192.254 mph) and Austin Dillon (192.254 mph), who lost the fifth spot to Keselowski on a proprietor focuses sudden death round.
Protecting race victor Dale Earnhardt Jr. neglected to make the main 12 and will begin sixteenth.
Jimmie Johnson (eighth) was the main Hendrick Motorsports driver to progress to the second round, pretty much as Kurt Busch (tenth) was the main Stewart-Haas Dashing passage to do as such.
Earnhardt, be that as it may, wasn't especially worried about his beginning position.
"I think we'll be great," he said. "We dealt with our auto to help out it drive better.
That may take some straight-line speed out of it, yet it's going to ideally help us have the capacity to make moves we have to make in the race."
"It will be smooth in the race, and taking care of will be genuine imperative. I'm more concerned truly with the auto driving great. Won't not be the speediest auto out there, (but rather) that is not the auto that is going to win the race. I believe (that will be) the person that is got the best taking care of bundle. This spot will be quite smooth."
Biffle was quickest in both rounds of qualifying, pacing the principal session at 192.629 mph.
"After that first session, I knew we must be agonized over (Greg)," Edwards said. "We ran a better than average lap in the second session, however those folks were quick. They put the diligent work in, they merit it and I know how hard those folks work over yonder.
"What's more, I figure as it were, it's cool to see them have achievement. You would rather not get beat by anybody, however knowing those folks and knowing the amount they work, it's great to see them have this day."
Note: Josh Savvy neglected to make the 40-auto field.
Results
1. (16) Greg Biffle, Portage, 192.955 mph.
2. (19) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 192.748 mph.
3. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 192.336 mph.
4. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Portage, 192.320 mph.
5. (2) Brad Keselowski, Portage, 192.254 mph.
6. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 192.254 mph.
7. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 192.234 mph.
8. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 192.160 mph.
9. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 191.975 mph.
10. (41) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 191.865 mph.
11. (22) Joey Logano, Portage, 191.400 mph.
12. (21) Ryan Blaney #, Portage, 191.253 mph.
13. (6) Trevor Bayne, Portage, 191.192 mph.
14. (43) Aric Almirola, Portage, 191.115 mph.
15. (78) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 191.103 mph.
16. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 191.071 mph.
17. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 190.933 mph.
18. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 190.783 mph.
19. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 190.670 mph.
20. (13) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 190.476 mph.
21. (4) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 190.444 mph.
22. (10) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 190.440 mph.
23. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 190.375 mph.
24. (24) Pursue Elliott #, Chevrolet, 190.359 mph.
25. (34) Chris Buescher #, Passage, 190.275 mph.
26. (47) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 189.877 mph.
27. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 189.693 mph.
28. (35) David Gilliland, Passage, 189.470 mph.
29. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 189.211 mph.
30. (44) Brian Scott #, Passage, 188.964 mph.
31. (15) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 188.727 mph.
32. (32) Bobby Labonte, Passage, 188.391 mph.
33. (46) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 188.344 mph.
34. (38) Landon Cassill, Passage, 188.249 mph.
35. (98) Cole Whitt, Toyota, 187.629 mph.
36. (83) Matt DiBenedetto, Toyota, 187.563 mph.
37. (95) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 187.480 mph.
38. (23) David Ragan, Toyota, 187.426 mph.
39. (55) Reed Sorenson, Toyota, 187.025 mph.
40. (7) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 0.000 mph.