Kurt Busch won the Coors Light Pole Award in NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying Friday, June 11, 2010 and will start first in Sunday's Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
Busch ran a lap of 37.898 seconds at 189.984 to secure his first pole start in 19 races at Michigan. Busch has 12 poles in 343 NASCAR Sprint Cup races. He currently stands fifth in Sprint Cup points, trailing leader Kevin Harvick by 182 points.
"The Miller Lite Dodge felt great,” said Busch. “I was hoping to go out for qualifying as early as I could, knowing that if it gets hotter, the track will really get slick. The Miller Lite guys did a great job getting the car ready. We're fast. I think that we have a top-five car. At Michigan you can pass; go high, go low. We spent a lot of time in race trim trying to dial this car in. We'll see what happens with the weather. Rain may come in and change the track."
Jamie McMurray Qualifies Second for Michigan NASCAR Race
Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray will start beside Busch in the front row. Current NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson will line up third, Kasey Kahne will start fourth and Jeff Burton will start fifth when the green flag drops Sunday.
Since McMurray's victory in February's Daytona 500, he has struggled on the track and is currently 18th in the standings, 110 point out of the 12th spot. Only 12 drivers qualify for the Sprint Cup Championship Chase, which is comprised of the final 10 races of the season.
Michigan International Speedway Special to Big Three Auto Manufacturers
"When we race at Michigan, we're right there in the backyard of all the ‘Big Three' auto manufacturers and everyone wants to win for the brand they represent," said Busch while referencing Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge. NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers also run Toyotas.
Busch has won two points-paying races and the non-points Sprint All-Star Race so far in 2010 while driving the Miller Lite Dodge.
The Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 will air live on Sunday, June 13 on the TNT television network with coverage beginning at 1 p.m. EDT. Race coverage will also be broadcast live on MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio.
Adam Sandler and Kevin James, stars of Columbia Pictures’ “Grown Ups,” in theaters June 25, will serve as grand marshals for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
UPDATE: Denny Hamlin Wins Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway
Rosalie Thompson - Rosalie Thompson enjoys writing about NASCAR, real estate, gardening and travel in the Southeastern United States. After graduating from ...
