By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service
DOVER, Del. – With the threat of rain on Friday at Dover International Speedway, there was an urgency to opening practice and a need for speed in the session.
Strong runs in qualifying trim paid off for Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who will start first and second, respectively, in Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism at the Monster Mile (1 p.m. ET on FS1), with positions on the grid set according to practice speeds.
“I think (the weather) definitely changes the approach,” said Harvick, who picked up his only Dover victory in last year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the one-mile concrete track. “That’s what the forecast looked like all week, and we just decided to come in qualifying trim.
“(Crew chief) Rodney (Childers) and those guys made that decision pretty early – I’d say about midweek – to practice that way.”
Harvick posted a lap at 165.147 mph, which would have supplanted Brad Keselowski’s 2014 qualifying record of 164.444 mph, had it been set during time trials. Practice times, however, are not eligible for official track records.
Earnhardt ran 164.707 mph despite a less-than-perfect effort through Turns 3 and 4.
“It was really hooked up for that lap we had,” Earnhardt said. “And I think we were ahead of Kevin on the Dartfish (a lap-tracking computer program) going into 3. I pushed up off of 4 really bad and had to lift on that exit, but the car was really, really good.
“I just didn’t drive 3 and 4 exactly right.”
With crew chief Adam Stevens serving a one-race suspension for a lug nut violation, Kyle Busch, last week’s race winner at Kansas Speedway, earned the third starting position with a practice run at 164.489 mph. Carl Edwards, a two-time winner this season, will start fourth, followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Newman.
Jamie McMurray, Danica Patrick and Tony Stewart, all of whom went to backup cars after wrecking in the fourth minute of opening practice when the rear gear of Patrick’s car failed and dumped oil on the track, will start 24th, 31st and 34th, respectively.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying – AAA 400 Drive for Autism
1. (4) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 165.145 mph.
2. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 164.707 mph.
3. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, Charter Team – 164.489 mph.
4. (19) Carl Edwards, Toyota, Charter Team – 164.144 mph.
5. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Ford, Charter Team – 163.815 mph.
6. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Charter Team – 163.741 mph.
7. (78) Martin Truex Jr, Toyota, Charter Team – 163.681 mph.
8. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 163.666 mph.
9. (41) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 163.607 mph.
10. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, Charter Team – 163.451 mph.
11. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 163.406 mph.
12. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 163.021 mph.
13. (24) Chase Elliott #, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 162.925 mph.
14. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford, Charter Team – 162.881 mph.
15. (43) Aric Almirola, Ford, Charter Team – 162.462 mph.
16. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, Charter Team – 162.316 mph.
17. (44) Brian Scott #, Ford, Charter Team – 162.286 mph.
18. (21) * Ryan Blaney #, Ford, Open Team – 162.228 mph.
19. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 162.199 mph.
20. (47) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 161.645 mph.
21. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 161.609 mph.
22. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, Charter Team – 161.478 mph.
23. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 161.413 mph.
24. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 161.276 mph.
25. (6) Trevor Bayne, Ford, Charter Team – 161.182 mph.
26. (13) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 161.009 mph.
27. (23) David Ragan, Toyota, Charter Team – 160.271 mph.
28. (95) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 160.157 mph.
29. (83) Matt DiBenedetto, Toyota, Charter Team – 159.794 mph.
30. (34) Chris Buescher #, Ford, Charter Team – 159.759 mph.
31. (10) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 159.398 mph.
32. (15) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 159.341 mph.
33. (7) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 159.222 mph.
34. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 158.388 mph.
35. (38) Landon Cassill, Ford, Charter Team – 157.992 mph.
36. (98) * Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, Open Team – 154.110 mph.
37. (46) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, Charter Team – 153.767 mph.
38. (55) * Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, Open Team – 153.146 mph.
39. (32) Jeffrey Earnhardt #, Ford, Charter Team – 152.879 mph.
40. (30) * Josh Wise, Chevrolet, Open Team – 151.471 mph.
Image: Drew Hallowell/NASCAR via Getty Images
