Chasers slow in qualifying for Sunday's Kansas race (cont'd)

Greg Biffle, winner of the first two Chase races and third in points, was the only other Chaser to crack the top 20 in 18th. Biffle's Ford clocked in at 31.730, 170.186 mph. He's the defending race winner, and half his six starts there have wound up in the top five at the finish. His average result is 11.0, third among Chasers.

Bowyer, who was second to Biffle in last year's rain-delayed race, enjoys home-field advantage at Kansas, though his starting average of 8.0 will take a hit after this year. He put his Chevrolet in 24th at 31.889, 169.337 mph. Both races he's started there have resulted in top-10 finishes.

Kyle Busch was 27th in his Toyota, logging in at 31.905, 169.252 mph. Busch has not excelled at Kansas in the past, a seventh-place finish his best offering in four starts. His 26.5 finishing average is worst among the 12 Chasers.

Denny Hamlin is another driver who isn't a finisher at Kansas, for whatever reason. He will start 30th on Sunday after his lap at 31.926, 169.141 mph in his Toyota. Hamlin's best finish is 18th in 2006, and his average finish is 26.3, slightly better than teammate Busch.

Points leader Edwards had a subpar day by his standards, as his Ford could do no better than 34th for Sunday. Edwards' lap at 31.989, 168.808 mph bodes ill for Sunday, though his average finish is a respectable 17.0. He was third at Kansas in his first season with Roush Fenway back in 2005.

Kevin Harvick was two spots back in 36th after his lap at 32.000, 168.750 mph in a Chevrolet. Harvick has finished sixth twice in seven starts, and his average finish of 16.1 is sixth among the Chasers.

Jeff Burton usually starts in the second half of the field at Kansas, averaging 25.0 in seven starts, but he wound up 37th on Friday after a lap at 32.056, 168.455 mph in his Chevy. Burton's best finish was fifth back in 2006, and he averages 19.6 per finish, which is ninth of the 12.

That left Stewart, whose lap at 32.281, 167.284 mph was faster than only Johnny Sauter on Friday. Stewart was 10th after practice at 31.627, but somehow dropped sixth-tenths of a second. Stewart averages 14.5 per start at Kansas, and his finishing average is fourth among Chasers at 11.1. He won a fuel-mileage gamble back in 2006 and had last year's race in his grasp until a late-race fender-bender cut a tire down.

Stewart has five top-10 finishes in his seven Kansas starts, including three top-fives. Stewart will now drive off 41st.