Carl Edwards puts down blistering run to win Charlotte pole

Carl Edwards puts down blistering run to win Charlotte pole

May 17, 2014

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

CONCORD, N.C.— Carl Edwards is living proof the Roush Fenway Racing team is making inroads on the intermediate speedways after a sluggish start to the season on RFR’s bread-and-butter tracks.

Edwards reeled off three lightning-quick laps, and his No. 99 Ford team contributed a flawless pit stop, as Edwards streaked to the pole position for Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star Race, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ million-dollar dash for cash.

Edwards’ average speed for the three laps and the stop was 146.915 mph, significantly faster than anyone else in the 22-car field was able to manage.

With pit road speeds waived for Saturday evening’s time trials, Edwards had planned a relatively conservative entry, but as he approached pit road, he decided to throw caution to the wind.

“I had a plan to get to pit road, and I then I threw it completely out the window,” said Edwards, who rocketed toward his pit stall but slowed the car in time to stop in the box. “I came onto pit road what I thought was entirely too fast. I thought I was going to run out in the grass.

“Fortunately, I got it all slowed down. The guys had a great pit stop. This is fun. I think I'm still shaking a little bit—it’s so intense.”

Busch wasn’t completely pleased with any aspect of his qualifying effort for Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star Race, even though the cumulative effect was a front-row starting spot for the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

“I left a little bit out there everywhere,” Busch said after Saturday evening’s qualifying effort, and he was right.

Busch wasn’t fastest getting on or off pit road during the three-lap run. His crew had a little trouble with the left rear during the mandatory four-tire pit stop during the second lap.

The net effect was a total time of 111.118 seconds (145.791 mph), nearly a full second slower than the 110.268 seconds posted by Edwards.

Kevin Harvick qualified third, followed by the four Hendrick Motorsports cars of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne.

Josh Wise, winner of the Sprint Fan Vote on Friday, qualified 19th.