Roush Fenway's Carl Edwards captures pole for Nationwide race at Homestead
Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards won the pole for Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. // David Griffin, NASCAR Scene
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards claimed the pole for the final NASCAR Nationwide Series race of the season, the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Edwards, who is battling for second in the points standings, turned a lap of 168.366 mph in the No. 60 Ford. He edged Kevin Harvick Inc.’s Ryan Newman, who ran 167.978 in the No. 33 Chevrolet.
“Boy, I’m looking forward to a good race," Edwards said. "That’s a fast race car, that Ortho Ford Fusion is good and I’m glad to be driving a Ford for a lot of reasons but here at Homestead, they just seem to run so well. I don’t know what it is.
"I don’t know why we’re able to go so fast here but that’s the best we’ve run at a mile-and-a-half in a long time. I’m really excited about the race."
Richard Childress Racing’s Jeff Burton was third, with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Joey Logano fourth and JGR’s Kyle Busch fifth. Busch will clinch the Nationwide championship when he starts today’s race.
The rest of the top 10 were CJM Racing’s Denny Hamlin, Roush Fenway's Matt Kenseth, JR Motorsports’ Brad Keselowski, Michael Waltrip Racing’s Scott Speed and Rusty Wallace Racing’s Brendan Gaughan.
ML Motorsports’ Shelby Howard was the fastest of the drivers needing to make the race via qualifying. The others drivers were Yates Racing’s Paul Menard, MSRP Motorsports’ Terry Cook, K Automotive Motorsports’ Dennis Setzer, Day Enterprises Racing’s Mark Day, MSRP’s Johnny Chapman, JRM’s Kelly Bires, RAB Racing’s John Wes Townley, Rick Ware Racing’s Tim Andrews, Smith-Ganassi Racing’s Todd Bodine, SK Motorsports’ Danny O’Quinn, Jay Robinson Racing’s Mark Green and Baker Curb Racing’s Kevin Hamlin.
Failing to qualify were JD Motorsports’ Jeremy Clements, XXXtreme Motorsports’ Chase Austin, Borneman Motorsports’ John Borneman III, Penske Racing’s Parker Kligerman, Faith Motorsports’ Morgan Shepherd, Go Green Racing’s Eddie MacDonald, Mike Harmon Racing’s Jennifer Jo Cobb, K Automotive’s Brian Keselowski and Benny Gordon Racing’s Benny Gordon.
Kligerman, who hit the wall twice during his qualifying lap, hopes to start the Smith-Ganassi No. 42 Dodge in place of Bodine, as long as a seat that fits Kligerman can be installed before the race, which is slated to start shortly after 4:30 p.m. EST.
Roush Fenway’s Erik Darnell crashed before his qualifying lap and will go to a backup car for the race.
