Sets track record in Round 1 of knockout qualifying
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MORE: Qualifying results
Kyle Busch won the NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Award in knockout qualifying on Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway with a lap of 133.963 mph in the final round. Busch edged Brad Keselowski, who finished second at 133.924 mph. Erik Jones, Elliott Sadler and Alex Bowman rounded out the top five.
The pole makes Busch’s seventh Nationwide Series pole at Phoenix, his seventh this season and the 43rd of his Nationwide Series career.
Busch set a series track record of 134.414 mph on his opening lap in Round 1 of 2, eclipsing his own mark of 134.298 mph from February of 2011. Busch beat out Keselowski, who posted a speed of 133.983 mph on his second lap of Round 1 and finished second. Keselowski is driving the No. 22 car for Team Penske, which leads the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing car by 26 points in the owners standings.
Trevor Bayne was the last one to advance out of the first round, finishing 12th at 132.528 mph. Chris Buescher was the first one out, finishing 13th at 131.762 mph.
Chase Elliott, who has a 48-point lead over JR Motorsports teammate Regan Smith in the Nationwide Series standings and can become the youngest driver to win a NASCAR national series title as early as today, qualified 10th after posting a speed of 132.592 mph in the second round. Smith will start sixth.
The Nationwide Series’ DAV 200 Honoring America’s Veterans gets underway at 4 p.m. ET with TV coverage on ESPN.
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