KYLE BUSCH/No.54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has the pole for Saturday afternoon’s ServiceMaster 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Phoenix International Raceway. His lap of 133.422 mph
Series Points Leader, AUSTIN DILLON/No.3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet will start beside Busch. He took over the points lead from SAM HORNISH Jr/No.2 Penske Racing Ford after the Kansas Race, and has led the standings ever since. The points gap is six. Dillon has seven poles but no victories. Hornish has one win and three poles. Dillon, grandson of RICHARD CHILDRESS, is mentored by the well-known and very likable international driver, MAX PAPIS.
Third through fifth are MIKE HARMON/No.74 Mike Harmon Racing Dodge, KEVIN HARVIK/No.33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, and BRAD KESELOWSKI/No.22 Penske Racing Ford.
ROGER PENSKE, owner of Keselowski car as well as that driven this weekend by SAM HORNISH Jr/No/12, is currently leading the Owner Points, 1230 and 12 wins to J.D. Gibbs with 1204 points and 11 wins. RICHARD CHILDRESS is third with 1107 points and no wins.
The way NASCAR awards points this season, a driver may only earn points in one series Thusly, Busch, Harvick, MATT KENSETH/No.18 Penske Racing and Keselowski won’t be scoring any NNS Driver Points.
However, their team owners can and will score points. For the Joe Gibbs Racing No.54, Busch has been the only driver in that car to win a race. However, Penske Racing’s No.12 has had four drivers and all four have scored one or more victories: A.J. ALLMENDINGER; RYAN BLANEY; JOEY LOGANO, and Hornish.
The top Rookie was KYLE LARSON/No.32 Target Chevrolet, who will start thirteenth.
The one incident in the session was DERRIKE COPE/No.73 Creation-Cope Racing Toyota, who backed into the wall. He was cleared to race at the Infield Medical Center, and his crew is beavering away to prepare the backup car – a Chevrolet. His qualifying position was P39 but he will drop to the back of the pack with no time.
Forty-two drivers ran the qualifying session. Two did not make the forty-car field – MORGAN SHEPHERD/No.89 Chevrolet and DEXTER STACEY/No.92 Maddie’s Place Ford.