Nascar – Keselowski on pole at Loudon, Johnson disqualified

Brad Keselowski (Penske Racing) knows he must quickly recover if he wants to play in the Chase at the end of the year. With only eight events remaining before the start of the title race, the reigning champion fell outside the top 12 following his poor performance last weekend at Daytona where he was not classified. than 21st. The driver of the No. 2 Ford responded by winning his first pole of the season at Loudon with a lead of four thousandths over Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports) who was going to be disqualified for too low a ride height. “We had the speed, things are starting to improve”, declared the pole sitter of the Camping World RV Sales 301 who only won the third of his career, but the second at Loudon. “This couldn’t have come at a better time. We had a great car at Daytona, but it didn't work out in the end like other weekends. »

Kurt Busch (Furniture Row Racing) took advantage of Jimmie Johnson's disqualification to find himself on the front row with a delay of 18 thousandths on the reference time. “I was coming to the first corner but I got to the limiter very quickly. I thought the mechanics had missed something in the settings”, explains the driver of the No. 78 Chevrolet. “That could mean two things: either we're really fast or it was a mistake. But fortunately, it wasn't one of them. But it influenced my braking and my driving in general. It was a strange ride. I expected Todd (Berrier, his crew chief) to tell me I was 20th, but he told me we were in »040. »

Dale Earnhardt Jr thus places the first Hendrick SS in third place, a hundredth behind the first row. Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing) and Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports) complete the top five ahead of Carl Edwards (Roush Fenway Racing), Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing), Kasey Kahne (Hendrick Motorsports), Jeff Burton (Richard Childress Racing) and Juan-Pablo Montoya (Earnhardt Ganassi Racing).