Daniel Suarez records second career pole at Kentucky

With a lap time of 29.254 seconds (184.590 mph) at Kentucky Speedway on Friday (July 12), Daniel Suarez earned the provisional pole for the Quaker State 400.

If the pole stands after inspection Saturday, Suarez will net his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole of 2019 and second of his career.

“I am very proud of my guys and Ford Performance and Stewart-Haas Racing and everyone that makes this program go,” Suarez said. “We have been working very hard.”

Aric Almirola, his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, laid down the second-fastest qualifying time (29.38 seconds/183.799 mph) during the single-car-one-lap qualifying session. If the time holds, Almriola will have his sixth front-row start of the season.

“We have part one done, we have qualified up front and got ourselves good track position and pit stall selection and good clean air,” Almirola said. “Now we just have to go put a race together.”

Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five starters.

Suarez will join Aric Almirola, Alex Bowman, Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, David Ragan and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as active drivers in the Cup Series who have two career poles.

Other drivers who earned two total poles in their Cup Series careers include Dave Blaney, Johnny Benson Jr., 1949 series champion Robert Byron and Marshall Teague.

THROUGH THE FIELD
Daniel Hemric was the highest qualifier among Rookie-of-the-Year candidates in sixth.

Last year’s polesitter and winner of the last two Kentucky races, Martin Truex Jr., qualified eighth.

Joey Logano, the defending series champion and current points leader, qualified 11th.

In total, the race will feature 36 starters. No open teams will be competing in the race.

RACEDAY
The Quaker State 400, race No. 19 of 36 this year, will be televised live on NBCSN Saturday (July 13) at 7:30 p.m. ET.