For the most part, Joe Gibbs Racing has struggled in 2015 — its Toyota engines have lacked the horsepower necessary to keep pace with the Ford and Chevrolet teams on tracks bigger than a mile in length.
The lone exception where JGR has been strong this season came last month at Martinsville Speedway, a short track that is more about a driver’s ability than engine power. That day three of four JGR cars finished fifth or better, led by race-winner Denny Hamlin.
But when the Sprint Cup circuit went back a speedway in the subsequent race, JGR’s performance fell back where it had been for the majority of the season.
On Friday, coinciding with the second short track of the season, JGR’s fortunes again changed. On the half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway, Matt Kenseth (128.632 mph) captured the pole position for Sunday’s Food City 500. Teammates Carl Edwards, Hamlin and David Ragan qualified third, fifth and 11th, respectively.
“Obviously, as a company we have to get running better,” Kenseth said. “I don’t feel like my teammates are running first, second and third and I’m running 18th. I feel like we have to get all of us running better. Today was a good example that we’re all in the top-12.
“At Martinsville I thought we had four cars that would have been in the top-five there if Carl hadn’t had a flat tire. I think we just have to keep working on it.”
The pole was Kenseth’s first of the season and 13th of his career. JGR’s overall strong showing bodes well for Sunday — the past eight Bristol races have been won by drivers starting 12th or better.
Sharing the front row with Kenseth is Brad Keselowski, followed by Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Hamlin. Joey Logano, who was fastest in the first rounds of qualifying, starts sixth. Completing the top-10 qualifiers were Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Paul Menard and Jamie McMurray. The first eight starters are all former Bristol winners.
“It’s frustrating when you win the first two rounds and then you don’t really make it happen on the third one,” Logano said.
Several big names struggled in the three-round session, with Danica Patrick (qualified 26th), Jimmie Johnson (28th), Greg Biffle (33rd) and Clint Bowyer (37th) all failing to advance past Round 1.
Because of Bristol’s narrow pit road and several disadvantageous pit stalls, overcoming a poor qualifying effort will be a challenge Sunday. It’s been 11 years since a driver won starting 20th or worse.
“We won’t have any favors on pit road,” said Johnson, who won last Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway. “In some ways it’s nice that we qualified so bad that we might find an opportunity on pit road to make up somewhere and work some slower traffic that way, but we’re in a big hole. There’s no way around it.
“That’s going to be challenging. We’ve got a great team and between pit road and pit strategy and adjustments and me searching around the race track, I feel like we’ll be able to get up front.”
Brendan Gaughan and Ron Hornaday Jr. failed to qualify.
Food City 500 starting lineup
