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NASCAR at New Hampshire 2019 Qualifying Results: Brad Keselowski Wins Pole

Jul 19, 2019
LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE - JULY 19: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 19, 2019 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE - JULY 19: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 19, 2019 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Brad Keselowski secured his first pole of the 2019 season during Friday's qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.

Keselowski beat out Kyle Busch in one of the final qualifying runs of the day, while Kurt Busch qualified third on the heels of his win in last week's Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway.

Here is a look at the full qualifying order, courtesy of NASCAR.com (Time in seconds in parenthesis):

1. Brad Keselowski: 27.927

2. Kyle Busch: 27.942

3. Kurt Busch: 27.957

4. Erik Jones: 27.967

5. Ryan Blaney: 27.982

6. Martin Truex Jr.: 27.989

7. Matt DiBenedetto: 28.008

8. Joey Logano: 28.028

9. Aric Almirola: 28.030

10. Jimmie Johnson: 28.038

11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: 28.063

12. Chase Elliott: 28.066

13. Daniel Suarez: 28.087

14. Kevin Harvick: 28.110

15. Kyle Larson: 28.131

16. Clint Bowyer: 28.164

17. Paul Menard: 28.302

18. Ty Dillon: 28.303

19. Daniel Hemric: 28.307

20. David Ragan: 28.332

21. Austin Dillon: 28.367

22. William Byron: 28.400

23. Denny Hamlin: 28.432

24. Michael McDowell: 28.437

25. Chris Buescher: 28.525

26. Ryan Newman: 28.597

27. Bubba Wallace: 28.618

28. Ryan Preece: 28.633

29. Corey Lajoie: 28.655

30. Matt Tifft: 28.674

31. Landon Cassill: 28.848

32. Ross Chastain: 29.116

33. Reed Sorenson: 29.405

34. Quin Houff: 29.561

35. Andy Seuss: 29.669

36. Austin Theriault: 30.874

37. Alex Bowman: DNF

Erik Jones occupied the top spot for much of Friday's qualifying session until Kyle Busch surpassed him in the latter stages. Then, Keselowski beat out Busch in his first of two laps:

Kurt Busch gave Keselowski a run for his money and was nearly on pace to beat him out but ultimately had to settle for the inside spot in Row 2:

While Keselowski and the Busch brothers thrived, there were a few mishaps during and before qualifying among the other drivers.

William Byron narrowly avoided disaster when he tapped the wall during his run, and he managed to recover enough to earn the No. 22 qualifying position:

His Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman wasn't so fortunate.

Just a few weeks removed from his first Cup Series win at Chicagoland Speedway, Bowman experienced a mechanical issue that ended his day:

As a result, Bowman will start at the end of the field Sunday in 37th.

Before qualifying even started, there was some controversy surrounding Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 team. According to NASCAR.com, Hemric's car failed inspection three times Friday, which led to car chief Darin Nestlerode getting ejected from the track and banned for the remainder of the weekend.

Despite the distraction, Hemric managed a solid 19th-place run in qualifying.

Keselowski has a solid chance to move up in the standings this week. A win would tie him for the most victories this season at four with Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.

While Keselowski has only one win in 18 career starts at New Hampshire, his average finish of 11.1 is third to only Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson among drivers with at least 10 starts at the track.

Kyle Busch is also a strong bet starting from the second spot since he has three wins at New Hampshire and four wins overall this season.

Keselowski, Busch and the rest of the field will vie for a victory in the Foxwoods Casino 301 on Sunday beginning at 3 p.m. ET.

Tyrann Mathieu Calls Out Brad Keselowski for Mocking His Pet Car Safety Video

Jul 6, 2019
Kansas City Chiefs free safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) catches a ball during the NFL football team's organized team activities Thursday, June 6, 2019, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Chiefs free safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) catches a ball during the NFL football team's organized team activities Thursday, June 6, 2019, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski wondered why Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Tyrann Mathieu only lasted eight minutes in a 120-degree car while filming a video about pet safety.

The NFL player fired back Saturday with a NSFW message on Twitter (he's since deleted the tweet):

Keselowski was clearly attempting to make a point about the toughness of NASCAR drivers, who regularly endure car temperatures around 130 degrees for hours at a time during summer races.

Meanwhile, Mathieu wanted to showcase the importance of not leaving dogs or other pets in a vehicle during a hot day because the temperature can rise rapidly when the windows are rolled up. He wasn't trying to make an ironman effort at staying in the car.

The video, which was originally filmed for PETA in July 2015, has over 5.7 million views on YouTube:

It's unlikely anything more comes from the sudden cross-sport rivalry.

Kyle Busch Wins 4th Race of Season with Victory at NASCAR at Pocono 2019

Jun 2, 2019
Kyle Busch enters Turn 1 during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Pocono Raceway, Sunday, June 2, 2019, in Long Pond, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Kyle Busch enters Turn 1 during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Pocono Raceway, Sunday, June 2, 2019, in Long Pond, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Kyle Busch cruised to the top of the Pocono 400 on Sunday, the 14th chapter in the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. 

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver now has four wins this season, the most of any car in the series, and this triumph ended a seven-race winless streak at Pocono. With Sunday's victory, Busch expanded his lead atop the standings.

Busch led for a race-high 79 laps after starting in third.

It was a good day overall for Joe Gibbs Racing as Erik Jones finished third and Denny Hamlin claimed sixth. 

For the third straight race, William Byron, the race's pole winner, finished ninth after doing so in the All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600. The Hendricks Motorsports driver has three pole wins this season but has yet to convert those into a race victory. The No. 24 car led for 26 laps Sunday.

Kyle Larson won both Stage 1 and 2 to claim three playoff points but stumbled to finish in 26th after hitting the wall following a restart. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver led for 35 laps—the second-most behind Busch.

   

Pocono 400 Results

1. Kyle Busch

2. Brad Keselowski 

3. Erik Jones

4. Chase Elliott

5. Clint Bowyer

6. Denny Hamlin

7. Joey Logano

8. Daniel Suarez

9. William Byron

10. Aric Almirola

Full results available at NASCAR.com.

Austin Dillon had similar luck to Larson. After starting the race in fourth position, he was ousted after 28 laps when he tangled with Paul Menard's No. 21 car, which caused his No. 3 to crash into the wall at Turn 3: 

Similarly, reigning Pocono 400 champion Martin Truex Jr.'s day was done after 91 laps because of engine trouble. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was fresh off winning the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend. Truex entered Sunday at sixth place in the Cup Series standings, 80 points off the lead. 

While the No. 19 car had won three of the last five races, Pocono marked his second "did not finish" this season—the other being at the Daytona 500. 

Kevin Harvick finished the race, albeit in 22nd place. His race was derailed by an uncontrolled tire violation, and after he served his pass-through penalty, the No. 4 car couldn't recover. On the broadcast, Harvick was said to have a cracked steering box.

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver is now a frustrating 0-of-37 all-time at Pocono. 

Joe Gibbs Racing arrived to Pocono in first place with 528 points and will enjoy an extra boost thanks to Busch, Jones and Hamlin. 

The field's next chance to close in on Busch will be the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. 

Brad Keselowski Holds Off Alex Bowman in OT to Win NASCAR at Kansas City 2019

May 11, 2019
KANSAS CITY, KS - MAY 10: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Wurth Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Digital Ally 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 10, 2019 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, KS - MAY 10: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Wurth Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Digital Ally 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 10, 2019 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

Brad Keselowski's first win at Kansas Speedway was eight years ago, and the Team Penske driver won again on the track at the 2019 NASCAR Monster Energy Series Digital Ally 400 on Saturday night in a highly contested event that had to be decided in overtime.

"I'm a little biased [because] I'm gonna go park this thing in Victory Lane," Keselowski said on the Fox Sports 1 broadcast after the race, which marked hisi 30th career Monster Energy series win, "but this was an awesome race today."

Alex Bowman, seeking his first career victory, found the checkered flag in second after leading for 63 laps. Bowman explained how what at some points felt like a sure victory fell apart, per Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass:

Erik Jones, Chase Elliott, Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher rounded out the top 10.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who has never had a top-10 finish at Kansas Speedway, claimed 11th.

For the majority of the race's first half, pole winner Kevin Harvick was in control. Harvick led for 105 laps—more than any other driver—including a Stage 1 win, but a trip to pit road under false pretenses sidetracked him. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver finished in 13th.

Unforeseen circumstances also derailed Kyle Busch, the Monster Energy circuit overall points leader entering the night, as he was penalized for driving through too many pit boxes and had to restart at the rear. He never recovered and finished 30th, breaking his streak of top-10 finishes in 11 races—which was tied for most all-time to start a season.

Even while putting together that streak, Busch has somewhat struggled, as this marks his fourth straight finish outside of the top five.

With the win, Keselowski ties Busch for three Monster Energy wins each this season. Keselowski's Team Penske entered the race in second to Joe Gibbs Racing on the owner leaderboard.

Seventh-place Hendrick Motorsports had a decent evening with Bowman's third consecutive second-place finish along with Elliott, who recovered after starting the race in 32nd position because of a failed pre-race inspection. Five out of eight top qualifiers failed their inspections.

Controversy reappeared at the end when Bowyer, a Kansas native, made contact with Jones. After the finish, Bowyer was fuming but joked, per Pockrass, "If that was the Kentucky Derby, I would be finishing in front of him."

Jones' frustration was directed elsewhere at Keselowski, who he claimed jumped the restart "20 f--king feet early," according to Jeff Gluck (NSFW language).

Everybody will have just a week to calm down before the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race on Saturday, May 18, at 6 p.m. ET from Charlotte Motor Speedway. In the meantime, visit NASCAR's official website to catch up on the full circuit leaderboard.

Brad Keselowski Holds Off Chase Elliott to Win NASCAR at Martinsville

Mar 24, 2019
Brad Keselowski (2) leads Chase Elliott (9) as they drive into Turn 4 during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., Sunday, March 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Brad Keselowski (2) leads Chase Elliott (9) as they drive into Turn 4 during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., Sunday, March 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Brad Keselowski led for 446 of 500 laps en route to winning the STP 500 on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia.

Keselowski held off Chase Elliott, who led 49 laps and finished second, for the win.

Kyle Busch took third on the .526-mile track, which is the shortest on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series circuit.

Here's a look at the top-10 results as well as highlights and reaction.

     

Top 10 Results

1. Brad Keselowski

2. Chase Elliott

3. Kyle Busch

4. Ryan Blaney

5. Denny Hamlin

6. Kevin Harvick

7. Clint Bowyer

8. Martin Truex Jr.

9. Aric Almirola

10. Daniel Suarez

Full results can be found on NASCAR.com.

       

Keselowski Dominates Martinsville

Keselowski earned his second win of the season in dominant fashion.

He passed pole-winner Joey Logano after six laps and was in first for 89 percent of the race. Dustin Long of NBC Sports put Keselowski's day in an historical perspective:

Keselowski also set a record for the most laps led at Martinsville in the NASCAR modern era, per NASCAR Alerts:

His crew deserves much credit as well, a point noted by NASCAR Twitter:

Naturally, a celebration needed to ensue, and Keselowski performed one with an epic blowout:

Racing writer Jeff Gluck put a bow on the winner's afternoon:

        

Chase Elliott Holds Off Kyle Busch for 2nd, But Busch Still No. 1 in Standings

The 23-year-old Elliott has racked up three top-10 finishes in the Monster Energy Cup standings over the past three years, and he's going to make it four-for-four if he continues to drive like he did on Sunday.

Elliott proved to be Keselowski's biggest threat, even taking the lead at one point. While he didn't end up winning, Elliott did hold off the early Monster Cup Series champion favorite in Busch for second.

He almost didn't even make it that far, however, as Elliott nearly got into a wreck with Jeb Burton in the No. 52 car in Stage 1:

Per Kelly Crandall of RACER, Elliott assumed Burton would let him through:

There was no harm, though, and Elliott eventually took a brief lead from Keselowski following a restart:

He did fall back to second and did an excellent job holding off Busch to stay there:

However, Busch eventually took second, forcing Elliott to make a move to regain a top-two position. After a late-stage restart, Elliott did so:

The race marks Elliott's first top-five finish of the year.

Busch may have not won, but he registered another excellent 2019 performance. He entered Sunday first in the Monster Cup standings, and he'll stay there after finishing third at Martinsville.

He's already earned two wins, five top-five finishes and six top-10 results in six races. Busch is also No. 1 in stage wins with four. 

Matt Weaver of Autoweek captured a post-race interview Busch held with reporters, and he gave heavy credit to his crew chief Adam Stevens and his team for the performance:

At this rate, Busch will be named NASCAR's champion for the second time in five years.

              

What's Next?

The O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 is next on the schedule at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Start time is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on Sunday.

NASCAR at Phoenix 2019 Qualifying Results: Ryan Blaney Takes Pole Position

Mar 8, 2019
AVONDALE, AZ - MARCH 08: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 MoneyLion Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series TicketGuardian 500 at ISM Raceway on March 8, 2019 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
AVONDALE, AZ - MARCH 08: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 MoneyLion Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series TicketGuardian 500 at ISM Raceway on March 8, 2019 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)

Ryan Blaney won the pole for the 2019 TicketGuardian 500 after posting the best qualifying time at ISM Raceway on Friday. 

Chase Elliott will join Blaney in the front row, with Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski rounding out the top five.

Below is a glimpse at the starting lineup for Sunday's race as well a look of some of the most noteworthy qualifying performances.

2019 TicketGuardian 500 Lineup

1. Ryan Blaney

2. Chase Elliott

3. Denny Hamlin

4. Kyle Busch

5. Brad Keselowski

6. Alex Bowman

7. William Byron

8. Kevin Harvick

9. Martin Truex Jr.

10. Erik Jones

11. Daniel Hemric

12. Joey Logano

*Full qualifying results available on NASCAR's official website 

Recap

Ryan Blaney has finished no better than 22nd through the first three races of 2019, but he is in prime position to end that skid this week.

The 25-year-old captured his sixth career pole on Friday, thanks to a time of 25.480 seconds. 

That put him 0.203 seconds clear of the field, as Elliott finished at 25.683 seconds. The No. 12 car also had the top speed, reaching 141.287 mph at ISM Raceway.

"Good way to start the weekend off," Blaney said.

By starting out in front of the pack, Blaney will have the opportunity to try to best last year's 16th-place finish, which followed a 12th-place start.

Even though he'll be starting in the front row, Elliott was disappointed not to win the pole. He did, however, tip his cap to Blaney afterward:

Last year's TicketGuardian winner, Kevin Harvick, will start in eighth place, and the 2018 pole winner, Martin Truex Jr., will again start near the front of the field in ninth.

While there was plenty of action on the track, there was some drama on pit road as well. Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell were involved in a pit-road altercation as emotions ran high outside of the vehicles:

McDowell blamed the No. 41 car for the scuffle:

Meanwhile, Suarez said a "lack of respect" from the No. 34 car during qualifying was the reason:

Interestingly enough, the two drivers will start near each other on Sunday. McDowell qualified 27th, and Suarez came in 28th.

After a drama-filled qualifying round, the race itself will have a lot to live up to. The 2019 TicketGuardian will get underway at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

NASCAR at Las Vegas 2019 Results: Joey Logano Bests Brad Keselowski for Win

Mar 3, 2019

Joey Logano picked up an early-season victory Sunday at the 2019 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

While Kevin Harvick claimed the checkered flag at this event last year, the 2018 NASCAR champion was able to hold off challenges from Penske teammate Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch to pace the field. Harvick and Kurt Busch rounded out the top five in the season's second race since Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500.

It was Keselowski, though, who made a challenge on the final lap before ultimately falling short after the top five battled throughout the closing stretch of the clean race. It was the Connecticut native's first win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in his 12th try.           

Logano earned the win in a notable race, as it was the first one since 2002 without a single actual caution.

The clean racing allowed Harvick to waste little time picking up where he left off in qualifying during the opening stage before Logano made his charge to the front of the pack.  

The pole-sitter seized control in the early going and was dominant on his way to a playoff point. He finished the 80-lap stage with a 4.5-second lead over Kyle Busch after leading every lap outside of the green-flag pit stops.

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver cruised with few challenges, but that changed in the early portion of the second stage when Keselowski used a two-tire pit stop to propel himself to the lead. However, Logano was racing on four fresh tires when he weaved his way to the front from the outside with an effective move through traffic.

The back-and-forth kick-started an entertaining battle between Kyle Busch and Logano. They traded the lead, were near each other’s bumpers and almost wrecked, although Busch's grip on first place was short-lived after he was penalized for speeding on pit road.

Logano benefited and won the second stage and the playoff points that come with it.

The final stage was defined by a juggling act atop the leaderboard by the primary challengers. Kurt Busch took his turn first when he didn't pit and received an assist from former SRH teammate Harvick, but the latter was kind for only so long before seizing the lead himself.

Meanwhile, Kyle Busch used the majority of the third stage to sneak up through traffic after his penalty and secure a place in the top three by stalking the leaders. The Vegas native even retook the lead for a moment while the others went into pit road for green-flag stops, completing an impressive turnaround even with the disastrous penalty.

"If we didn't have the speeding penalty, we would have won this race," he told reporters.

That may have been the case, but Logano was there to take full advantage and clinch his spot in the playoffs with the win.

                    

What’s Next?

Attention turns toward the TicketGuardian 500 at the ISM Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Harvick won last year's spring race, while Kyle Busch won the fall one during the playoffs.

NASCAR at Las Vegas 2019: Start Time, Ticket Info, Lineup, TV Schedule and More

Mar 2, 2019
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 01: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John's Ford, during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 1, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 01: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John's Ford, during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 1, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

The 2019 NASCAR season begins its West Coast swing Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

After the first two races of the year took place in the southeast, the Monster Energy Series moves west for three straight races, beginning with the Pennzoil 400.

Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski already have wins to their name from Daytona and Atlanta, respectively, and there's a good chance a third driver moves into Victory Lane Sunday.

Kevin Harvick became the third driver to win the pole for a race this season, as he beat out Hamlin and Kyle Busch during qualifying.

                      

Pennzoil 400 Info

Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET 

TV: Fox

Ticket Info: Tickets for the race can be found on StubHub.

Lineup: Full starting grid can be found on NASCAR.com.

                   

Preview

Harvick and Hamlin start Sunday's race in the front row, while Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon occupy Row 2 and Daniel Hemric and David Ragan reside in Row 3.

Hamlin, who has a win at Daytona and an 11th-place finish at Atlanta, is looking to continue his early-season success by benefiting from the second starting position.

Because of his consistency in the first two competitions of the season, Hamlin is out to an early lead in the points standings.

Harvick is just eight points behind Hamlin, while Kyle Busch is nine points back and Kyle Larson sits 10 out of first place.

Kyle Busch and Erik Jones, who is seventh in points, are the only two drivers on the circuit with a pair of top-10 finishes, and they should be in contention to finish high up the leaderboard Sunday.

Another factor worth taking into consideration when picking a winner is Harvick's recent success at Las Vegas, as he finished first in 2015 and 2018.

Keselowski's also been successful in the past five years at Las Vegas, as he drove into the winner's circle in 2014 and 2016.

The only other driver to win at Las Vegas during that span is Martin Truex Jr., who enters Sunday in 12th place in the points standings.

If you're looking for a not-so-familiar name to take home the checkered flag, Hemric is the best option, as he lines up fifth on the starting grid.

The driver of the No. 8 car put together a solid run on the track during qualifying and is in need of a good finish, as he's 29th in points.

                        

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

NASCAR at Las Vegas 2019 Qualifying Results: Kevin Harvick Wins Pole Position

Mar 1, 2019
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 01: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John's Ford, during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 1, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 01: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John's Ford, during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 1, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Kevin Harvick had a great run in NASCAR's first trip to Las Vegas this season, capturing the pole position for Sunday's Pennzoil 400. 

Coming into the weekend, Harvick has been the favorite to drive away with a victory. His qualifying run did nothing to change that perception, as he rounded the track in 29.914 seconds during the third and final round. 

Joining Harvick on the front row will be Denny Hamlin. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch, along with the Richard Childress Racing duo of Austin Dillon and Daniel Hemric, round out the top five. 

Here's the full lineup from Las Vegas Motor Speedway, via NASCAR.com:

Row 1: Kevin Harvick (pole winner), Denny Hamlin

Row 2: Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon

Row 3: Daniel Hemric, David Ragan

Row 4: Kyle Larson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 

Row 5: Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano

Row 6: Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott

Row 7: Ryan Blaney, Ty Dillon

Row 8: Paul Menard, Michael McDowell

Row 9: Clint Bowyer, Erik Jones

Row 10: Brad Keselowski, William Byron

Row 11: Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suarez

Row 12: Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Preece

Row 13: Aric Almirola, Matt DiBenedetto

Row 14: Chris Buescher, Kurt Busch

Row 15: Ryan Newman, Corey LaJoie

Row 16: Landon Cassill, Parker Kligerman

Row 17: Cody Ware, B.J. McLeod

Row 18: Matt Tifft, Joey Gase

Row 19: Reed Sorensen, Ross Chastain

While Harvick did win the pole, there was some controversy in the final round of qualifying. 

Per NASCAR reporter Jeff Gluck, Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott appeared to move to the top of the timesheets, but they weren't granted a second lap because time expired when they crossed the finish line. As a result, they will start from the sixth row. 

Harvick's status as the favorite is hardly a surprise. The driver of the No. 4 Ford won the spring race last year, leading 214 out of 400 laps, and he also won here in 2015. 

There will be plenty of competition for Harvick, particularly from the driver next to him in the front row. Hamlin scored the biggest win of the early season by taking the checkered flag at the Daytona 500. 

Per NASCAR computer model SportsLine (h/t CBSSports.com), Hamlin is projected as one of the favorites thanks in large part to his success on 1.5-mile tracks (seven career wins). This event, however, has been a problem for the Virginian, with two top-10 finishes in the past seven years. 

The news was not so good for Aric Almirola, who is coming off a pole win last week in Atlanta. He didn't make it out of the first round of qualifying after getting bumped out of the top 24 in the final seconds:

Almirola hasn't fared particularly well in the Pennzoil 400. The 34-year-old's best finish in this race was 10th place last year. It was just his third top-20 time in 10 attempts.  

Brad Keselowski, who won in Atlanta, didn't fare much better than Almirola. He made it into the second round of qualifying before a disappointing time of 30.132 forced him to settle for the 19th position. 

With the entire field set for the Pennzoil 400, all 38 drivers can turn their attention toward taking the checkered flag at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday. 

Brad Keselowski's Late Charge Leads to NASCAR at Atlanta 2019 Win over Truex Jr.

Feb 24, 2019
Fans watch as Brad Keselowski's car makes its way to inspection before a NASCAR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, in Hampton, Ga. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Fans watch as Brad Keselowski's car makes its way to inspection before a NASCAR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, in Hampton, Ga. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Martin Truex Jr. came on strong and had the best car down the stretch.

He just ran out of time.

Brad Keselowski took home the Folds of Honor 500 on Sunday, edging out a hard-charging Truex to win his first race of the 2019 NASCAR season and lock himself into the Chase.

Keselowski battled illness throughout the week and only led 33 of the race's 325 laps, persevering for his second career win in Atlanta. Truex finished 0.218 seconds behind, while Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top five.

"I've got to give a lot to credit to my wife, she was sick just like I was, and she took great care of me along with everybody in the care center. I couldn't be here today without them," Keselowski told reporters.

Kyle Larson had the most dominant car for most of the afternoon, leading 142 laps. However, a costly speeding penalty on pit road wound up costing him a chance at the win. He finished 12th.

It was a similar story for pole-sitter Aric Almirola, who led 36 laps before speeding on pit road cost him field position. He finished eighth.

Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin battled through an up-and-down day for an 11th-place finish. Hamlin did not lead a lap and spent most of his afternoon out of contention.

A mostly clean race, there were only five cautions and no major contenders were involved in crashes. Every car in the field completed at least 200 laps, and Michael McDowell's No. 34 was the only one to finish at least 100 laps down.

The drivers will head to Las Vegas next week for the Pennzoil 400.

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