Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give you the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App | How to find NBCSN

Monday, July 15
5 p.m., NASCAR America Monday, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

Tuesday, July 16
5 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN:
7 p.m., NASCAR Live

Wednesday, July 17
5 p.m., NASCAR America: “Motormouths,” NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Decades: The 1970s (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN:
noon, NASCAR Coast to Coast

Thursday, July 18
5 p.m., NASCAR America: “The Motorsports Hour,” NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

Friday, July 19
12:15 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
1 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series First Practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
4:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5)
5:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5:30 p.m., Fair Game with Kristine Leahy (Ryan Blaney is the guest), FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Decades: The 1990s (Part 1 of 2) (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Decades: The 1990s (Part 2 of 2) (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7 p.m. NASCAR Decades: The 1980s (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Saturday, July 20
10 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Second Practice, CNBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
11:15 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
noon, NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
12:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
4 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Lakes Region 200, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN3)
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Sunday, July 21
noon, NASCAR Race Day, FS1/FOX Sports App
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
1:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN1, 3, 4, 5)
6:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Post Race Show, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Busch dominated a caution-free Stage 2, leading 56 laps of the Quaker State 400 in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Kyle Busch, gunning for his third career Monster Energy Series win at Kentucky, raced his way to his sixth stage win of the 2019 season. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones followed, picking up a second-place finish in Stage 2.

Austin Dillon worked his way toward the front, followed by Joey Logano and Clint Bowyer who completed the top five.

RELATED: Stage 2 results

Denny Hamlin and Daniel Hemric each served penalties during the stage after pit-road mishaps. Hamlin served a pass-through penalty for an uncontrolled tire and Hemric’s jack man was docked with a penalty for removing equipment as the No. 8 left the pit box.

Finish Driver Team Points
1 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 10
2 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing 9
3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing 8
4 Joey Logano Team Penske 7
5 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 6
6 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing 5
7 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing 4
8 Ryan Blaney Team Penske 3
9 Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing 2
10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing 1

Stage 1

A steady push toward the front for Kurt Busch earned him his first stage win of the 2019 season Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway. Busch, in the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, held off strong pushes from Joey Logano to lead the final 28 laps of the stage. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Aric Almirola rounded out the top five.

RELATED: Stage 1 results

Daniel Suarez fell back in the pack after starting on the pole and leading 49 of the 80 laps in the stage — the most laps led in any race of his Monster Energy Series career.

A shredded right-front tire on the No. 9 car of Chase Elliott brought out the first caution at Lap 46 of the Quaker State 400. This gave cars who did not pit earlier in the race under green a chance to refuel and strategize to make it to the end of the stage. Elliott, who started the race in 20th, successfully made his way to pit road without any further damage.

WATCH: Elliott has tire trouble in Stage 1

Finish Driver Team Points
1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing 10
2 Joey Logano Team Penske 9
3 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 8
4 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 7
5 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing 6
6 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing 5
7 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing 4
8 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing 3
9 Daniel Hemric Richard Childress Racing 2
10 Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing 1
Posted on by Staff Report

The Roush Fenway Racing No. 6 Ford of Ryan Newman failed pre-race inspection on Saturday at Kentucky Speedway. Originally slated to start 23rd, Newman will now have to move to the rear of the field to start the Quaker State 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) because the car failed the body area part of inpsection.

The first 22 cars passed inspection, including pole sitter Daniel Suarez, who piloted the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford to the top spot Friday. It was Suarez’s second career Busch Pole Award.

Quin Houff, in the No. 77 Chevrolet, was the only other car to fail inspection. Both the No. 6 and No. 77 cars passed inspection on the second time through.

RELATED: Five story lines to watch

For Newman, he will face the extra challenge of starting at the rear as he battles for a playoff position with eight regular-season races remaining. Newman entered the Kentucky race in the 16th and final playoff spot, just three points above the next-closest competitor.

In eight Monster Energy Series races, the Kentucky winner has never started from further back than 16th in the field.

Posted on by Marissa Fuller

We heard it all last season. We heard it throughout the entire offseason. And we’re still hearing it in the current 2019 season.

Is Jimmie Johnson done winning? Does he not have it anymore?

In short, Johnson’s answer to that: No.

The veteran driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is not only just as determined and driven to win and succeed as he was when he was winning back-to-back championships, he’s also not yet done proving himself.

“I still definitely have something to prove,” Johnson told NASCAR.com. “I love racing. This is who I am and it’s what I am. I started doing this at 5. Through my career, I’ve had plenty of ups and downs and the last couple of years have certainly been down, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stay there. I’ve worked my entire career to learn what I have today and know what I know.”

RELATED: Standings for Cup Series

Johnson, who is competing in his 18th full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, knows what it takes to win, and after his last two seasons, he knows what it takes to lose.

So how does a guy with so much success pull himself out of a slump?

“One of the key ingredients for me, throughout my career, has been outworking people,” Johnson said. “I’m busy doing that now, trying to put in time when no one else is putting it in and understanding my car in a deeper detail than anyone else.”

The fact the seven-time champion is currently fighting for a spot in the playoffs is not only shocking but has also placed an unimaginable amount of pressure on him.

“The pressure is definitely on. We’ve helped our situation recently and are a little higher in the points,” Johnson said. “With all that said, yes, still plenty of pressure. Momentum is on our side, but there’s no momentum like the momentum of a win for you and your team.”

That doesn’t go to say the mostly calm, cool and collected 43-year-old hasn’t gotten frustrated and angry at his current winless streak.

“The results have been frustrating, there’s no way around that, and I guess some comments here and there would reflect that but there’s no quit in me,” Johnson said. “I love what I do and I love racing.”

Johnson heads into Saturday’s Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with three top fives, eight top 10s and one pole this season.

RELATED: Unofficial Kentucky Cup lineup

In five instances, Johnson has won in his ninth career start at a track. Saturday is his ninth start at the 1.5-mile oval. This is also one of only four tracks he has never taken home the checkered flag.

“We’ve been really close here but just haven’t been able to get it done,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing (adding the traction compound to the track), it gives us more options to choose from, more ways to be competitive and pass.”

With the recent improvements inside the Hendrick Motorsports camp, there could be a light at the end of this long and winding tunnel for Johnson.

“I think now as a group, we’re all running in the top 10, if not the top five, and right now we’re just trying to find the little subtleties that I want out of the race car and what I need to feel,” he said. “At the same time, we’re still kind of hitting our stride as the new team 48. There’s a lot of new faces on the race team, some changes recently as well. We’re still trying to hit our stride together and we’re getting closer.”

An offseason crew chief shakeup hit the No. 48 crew after a winless year in 2018. Chad Knaus, Johnson’s longtime crew chief who was there with him for all of his championships, now sits atop the pit box for the young William Byron. Kevin Meendering took over for Johnson, so there was a lot to learn and put together as a new pairing.

“Kevin and I have been working hard on it,” Johnson said. “Now, as we’ve spent some time together, he knows what he needs out of me and I know what I need out of him and we continue to work on that relationship.”

RELATED: Top story lines for Kentucky

Times have changed since the beginning of Johnson’s racing career, and those changes haven’t gone unnoticed, with the equipment, data and information available to drivers constantly evolving. But one thing has always remained the same: his mindset.

“My mindset has always been very similar, and Jeff Gordon has really helped me with that through my career and that is, good or bad, that was last weekend and you’ve got to come in and start with a clean mind and just attack the weekend, the day ahead and take it from there,” Johnson said.

Posted on by Nick Giffen

After a wild race at Daytona, where Justin Haley won as one of the biggest underdogs in NASCAR history, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to some normalcy with a Saturday night race at Kentucky Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Kentucky is a traditional 1.5-mile oval that was repaved and reconfigured before the 2016 season. That places it among the newest track surfaces, making it fast and smooth, with relatively little tire wear. That will make track position important.

RELATED: Best matchup bets | Last-minute fantasy advice

However, don’t over-rely on practice times. The final practice came in the heat of the day, but the race is at night, where cooler temperatures and higher speeds will yield a bigger draft. Some of the best 1.5-mile racing under the current aero package has occurred under the lights.

There’s an abundance of 1.5-mile data available this year, including recent night races at Kansas, Charlotte, and the delayed early evening finish at Chicagoland.We’ll rely on that, plus some on-track and track history data to handicap today’s field.

As usual at 1.5-mile tracks, it’s tough to bet on anyone outside of the favorites to win. However, one interesting note: The Big 3 of Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr. have yet to win at a 1.5-mile track in 2019.

Here are my two favorite outright bets for the Quaker State 400.

All odds as of 7:30 a.m. ET on Saturday. A quick explainer on the odds below: A $100 wager on +700 would profit $700, while a $10 bet on +2000 would profit $200.

Brad Keselowski +700

Kyle Busch heads into the race as the betting favorite at +350, which is too low to bet. Harvick is second at +600 across most books, including the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, but I’m not comfortable with his 1.5-mile record in 2019, with no finishes better than fourth. That leaves Keselowski as the driver among the favorites I think is worth a wager.

Keselowski already has two wins at 1.5-mile tracks (Atlanta and Kansas), a second place at Las Vegas, and a top five at the most recent 1.5-mile track at Chicagoland. He also won the first race at Kentucky after its reconfiguration in 2016. That gives him some solid history heading into the weekend.

His weekend performance so far backs up that history. He was fourth in 10-lap average in final practice, and third in the cooler opening practice session. Keselowski also has impressive short-run speed, qualifying third and posting the third-best time over five laps in Happy Hour.

It’s thin value when you’re looking at favorites at 1.5-mile tracks, so I wouldn’t bet Keselowski at any odds shorter than +700.

Denny Hamlin +2000

After the Big 3, plus the Team Penske teammates of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, Hamlin might be the best of the rest at Kentucky. MGM is listing Hamlin in a 20-1 group that includes Clint Bowyer, Alex Bowman, Daniel Suarez and Aric Almirola. Those four drivers have a combined two career wins at 1.5-mile tracks (Bowyer in 2012 at Charlotte and Bowman this year at Chicagoland).

Hamlin, meanwhile, has eight 1.5-mile wins, including one this year at Texas as a 30-1 long shot. Texas is significant, because it was repaved a year after Kentucky, making it comparable in tire wear.

Hamlin has also been strong in practice this weekend. In final practice, he moved from 10th, to fifth, to fourth as the number of laps increased from five to 10 to 15, showing his strength over the long run. And maybe more importantly, he was tops among all drivers in 10-lap average in the cooler opening practice session. That could translate to night racing.

With Hamlin’s long-run pace, he’s a nice complement to Keselowski, who seems to have a better short-run car. He’s a steal at this price, and I’d bet him down to +1600 to win given everything he has going for him this weekend.

Posted on by RJ Kraft

UPDATE: The No. 6 of Ryan Newman and the No. 77 of Quin Houff failed inspection on Saturday at Kentucky. Both cars passed on the second time through.

Daniel Suarez is on the provisional pole for the Quaker State 400 on Saturday at Kentucky Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Does the Stewart-Haas Racing driver merit a spot in your Fantasy Live lineup? We’ve dissected the numbers to offer a suggested lineup worthy of your Fantasy Live consideration. We’ve also included alternates to plug into your lineup if one of the planned cars for your lineup fails post-qualifying/pre-race inspection on Saturday.

PLAY NOW: Set your lineup | How the game works | Tips to set your lineup

RJ Kraft’s Fantasy Live lineup for race day at Kentucky:
1. Brad Keselowski
2. Kurt Busch
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Kyle Busch
5. William Byron
Garage: Aric Almirola

Alternates to swap in if any of the above fail post-qualifying/pre-race inspection (in order and in one instance, very specific): Chase Elliott, Joey Logano (if any of the 2-18-19 go to the back), Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson and Daniel Suarez.

RELATED: Odds for Kentucky | 10-lap averages | Weekend preview

Analysis: I’m sticking with the bulk of my original lineup heading into inspection. We have eight races left so by and large it’s go time with little need to hold back — unless you are down to two uses on a driver (like one that drives the No. 4 — more on that below). I am in a good spot on uses with Keselowski, Truex and Kyle Busch. Keselowski has won here three times and looks pretty strong this weekend. Busch has two wins here and is usually in the top five. Truex has won the last two Kentucky races and he and crew chief Cole Pearn have a knack for delivering in races that transition from day to night. Byron has been a solid performer of late with a knack for stage points, so I’d like to ride the hot hand.

I was planning on riding the Hendrick wave pretty hard for this race, but the averages and starting spots were underwhelming to me. So instead of Elliott and Alex Bowman, I’m going with Almirola and Kurt Busch. Almirola has been a non-factor in fantasy for the past two months, but I love the starting spot and will be banking on stage points from him. If he fails to nab any stage points, he will stay in the garage barring any incidents involving the rest of my lineup. Busch gets my other spot because he’s been super consistent on the 1.5-mile tracks all year and I like the averages he’s had (h/t@SteveLetarte). I am somewhat low on uses with the 2004 champion, but outside of Bristol, I don’t have a track really marked for him as a must.

I’ve gotten some questions on whether or not to play Suarez. I know the final practice numbers and the provisional pole win would say you absolutely play him, but the body of work for him this season on 1.5-mile tracks is extremely suspect. He has scored more than 25 points twice (Atlanta and Texas) and over 30 points once (Texas). In the last three 1.5-milers, he’s averaging 18.3 points per race. If this were earlier in the season, I’d be more apt to take the plunge, but with eight races to go, I’m going with drivers I have more faith in knowing there’s not much to hold back for at this point. If enough of my lineup saw their qualifying times tossed out due to an inspection failure and Suarez’s No. 41 passed, I’d give the play consideration.

One instance where I am holding back is Kevin Harvick. While he does have the most points this season on 1.5-mile tracks, I am down to two uses and I believe Michigan and Darlington are better tracks to utilize the 2014 champ. That said, if I had at least three uses available, he’d be in my lineup. We’ve talked before about stacking your bonus picks with a driver you may have limited usage with and that is what I will do with Harvick. I have the Stewart-Haas driver winning Stage 2 and the race, with Keselowski taking Stage 1.

Each week in this space, we’ll also highlight two Props Challenge items for players.

MORE: Need Props help? The Action Network has you covered | Play the Props Challenge today

1. O/U 18.5 lead changes. Past Kentucky results would tell you to take the under. The 2019 racing/rules package would say the opposite. Every 1.5-mile race this season has hit over this mark. The Kansas race two months ago under the lights (much like Kentucky in terms of time of day, same race length) had 23 lead changes. I think those two stats are more accurate barometers to go on and so I will take the OVER.

2. At least five drivers will score 42 or more points. This one is a little tricker than I first thought. I initially thought yes but some studying of the numbers disputed that. It’s only happened once this year on a 1.5-mile track and that was the Coca-Cola 600, which had an extra stage (and more opportunity to earn additional points), so that’s a bit of an outlier. The 2019 data shows that this typically is a three- to four-driver mark that is hit, not five. With that in mind, I am going NO on this one.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

Christopher Bell was dominant in the daytime, but when the sun set Friday over Kentucky Speedway, Cole Custer turned out the lights on his NASCAR Xfinity Series competition.

Under the lights at the end of a 104-lap green-flag run to the conclusion of the Alsco 300, Custer’s No. 00 Ford crossed the finish line 1.651 seconds ahead of Bell’s No. 20 Toyota. Custer had taken the lead from Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Chase Briscoe on Lap 111 of 200 and held it the rest of the way, save for three laps during a cycle of green-flag pit stops midway through the final run.

Bell charged from fifth to second after a restart on Lap 97 but had nothing for Custer at the end.

“It’s been unbelievable,” said Custer, who won for the first time at Kentucky and the fifth time this season, breaking a tie with Bell for most in the series. “This one just goes to my team. That car was just unbelievable, and they knew exactly what to do with it when the track changed, and I was just lucky to drive it there at the end.”

RELATED: Recap Custer’s win in 162 seconds

The victory was the seventh of Custer’s career, it was in doubt only when Custer pitted on Lap 151, three laps after Bell had come to pit road for fuel and tires. In the interim, on fresh rubber, Bell had cut Custer’s lead from three seconds to a half-second, but Bell never got close enough to attempt a righteous pass for the lead.

“I think I was a little too conservative on my green-flag pit stop,” said Custer, who led a race-high 88 laps. “It worked out good. He got closer, and I was definitely sweating a little bit.

“But we had a fast car and were able to pull away at the end.”

After winning the first two stages and leading 72 laps, Bell and his team perhaps got a bit complacent.

“We just kind of got worse there,” Bell said. “My car was driving really good. Probably just got a little too comfortable there, needed to free it up a little bit.

“But our Ruud Supra was really fast. We were able to win two stages, so we got a couple more playoff points. We’ve just got to work on a couple more things, and we’ll be good.”

RELATED: Complete Kentucky at-track gallery

Tyler Reddick ran third, albeit 12.808 seconds behind Custer, as the Xfinity Series’ Big Three took all three podium positions. Collectively, Custer, Bell and Reddick have won 12 of the 17 races so far this season.

Michael Annett came home fourth, and Briscoe finished fifth in the No. 98 Ford, the last car on the lead lap. Reddick leads second-place Bell by 67 points in the series standings, after Bell trimmed 10 points off Reddick’s post-Daytona International Speedway advantage.

Noah Gragson, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Truex, Ryan Sieg and Justin Haley completed the top 10.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

Martin Truex Jr. already has matched last year’s total of four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories, but the driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is nevertheless concerned about his performance on qualifying days.

The statistics say he should be.

Last year, as one of the series’ so-called Big Three, Truex won four poles and posted an average qualifying position of 9.9. This season, his top efforts in time trials have produced fifth-place starts at Richmond and Daytona (July), and his average position on the starting grid is 15.2 through the first 19 races.

RELATED: Kentucky unofficial lineup

Truex has won the last two Kentucky races in dominating fashion, but there are new variables this season that could make the challenge of three in a row more difficult. Not only are the Cup drivers dealing with new higher-downforce, lower-horsepower competition rules, but they’ll also have to deal with the addition of traction compound to the racing surface in Saturday’s Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“As we figure this package out, and as we’ve run it at all these tracks this year, I feel like things have changed so much,” Truex said on Friday at Kentucky. “Early in the year, I feel like all the guys that ran good, qualified bad. Now, guys are figuring out ways to have enough speed in qualifying to start up front and to be able to have good enough handling throughout the race to stay up there.

“That’s been a big challenge for us is, how do we get both? We’ve had good handling cars at a lot of race tracks, but not a lot of speed. We’ve been able to take advantage of good handling. I don’t know. I think that, in a perfect world, you’d want to start up front because you get a good pit stall and you don’t have to worry about traffic and getting stuck trying to fight track position throughout that first stage.

“I think guys are figuring it out for sure. That’s something that we’re consistently working on and constantly working on that we haven’t, as the 19 car, we haven’t been able to figure it out quite yet.”

Historically, qualifying has been critical at Kentucky. The last three races — and five of the eight total at the 1.5-mile track — have been won from the front row.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

UPDATE: The No. 41 of Suarez passed inspection on Saturday confirming his pole win. The No. 6 of Ryan Newman, slated to start 23rd, failed inspection. The No. 77 of Quin Houff, slated to start last, was the only other car to fail inspection.

Daniel Suarez saved the best for last in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying Friday at Kentucky Speedway.

The 27-year-old driver from Monterrey, Mexico, was the last to run a qualifying lap at the 1.5-mile track, and he used the opportunity to knock Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Aric Almirola off the pole for Saturday’s Quaker State 400 (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Suarez covered the distance in 29.254 seconds (184.590 mph) to beat out Almirola (183.799 mph) for the top starting spot by .126 seconds.

RELATED: Unofficial qualifying results | Kentucky schedule

“The car’s been very fast the entire day,” said Suarez, who earned his first Busch Pole Award of the season and the second of his career. “We had probably the fastest car in last practice and the fastest car in qualifying, so I’m very proud of my guys, Ford Performance, Haas Automation — everyone who makes this program possible.”

Suarez, the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, hasn’t won in the Cup Series. Suarez would become the first Mexican driver to earn a victory in NASCAR’s premier series.

“I really want to win so bad,” Suarez said. “I haven’t been in Victory Lane for a while. The last time I was in Victory Lane was in Brazil, and it was in a go-kart race. I have been looking forward to bring a trophy home for a while.

“We have very fast cars. Now it’s up to me to make it happen (Saturday) night.”

Three-time Kentucky winner Brad Keselowski went out early, and his speed (183.443 mph) stood up for the third starting spot, as Ford drivers swept the top three spots on the grid and five of the top seven. Kurt Busch (183.355 mph) was fourth in the fastest Chevrolet, and two-time defending race winner Martin Truex Jr. (182.587 mph) qualified eighth in the quickest Toyota.

“I think that’s our best qualifying effort on a mile-and-a-half (track) this year, so that’s something to be proud of there,” Keselowski said. “I didn’t quite have the speed to get to the pole. I’d have liked to have had a later draw. I think there might have been a bit of speed there, but I don’t know if I could have got … Daniel was a tenth (of a second) and a half … I might have been able to get a half a tenth or tenth.

“All in all, a decent run for our Discount Tire Ford Mustang, and happy for (engine builder) Doug Yates and all the Ford guys to have all three of our cars up front with the Fords, but we’ll see what we have (Saturday).”

Kevin Harvick qualified fifth, followed by Daniel Hemric, Clint Bowyer and Truex. Austin Dillon was ninth, and two-time Kentucky winner Kyle Busch claimed the 10th starting spot.

Keselowski, Truex and Kyle Busch are the only former Kentucky winners in the 36-driver field. Front-row starters have won the last three Cup races at the 1.5-mile track, a good omen for Suarez and Almirola.

The lineup was made official after Saturday’s pre-race inspection. The cars were impounded after Friday’s qualifying session.

Contributing: Staff reports