Back from suspension, Kurt Busch will lead the field to the green flag for Sunday’s race.
Following months of negative publicity, for the second consecutive week Kurt Busch is grabbing headlines in a much more positive fashion.
Busch sped to the pole in Friday qualifying for Sunday's Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. His time of 185.142 mph topped Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick, who's won the past races and hasn't finished worse than second in seven straight races dating to last season.
Busch missed the first three races of the season when NASCAR suspended him Feb. 20 following a Delaware Family Court commissioner issuing Patricia Driscoll, Busch's former girlfriend, a no-contact order. In his ruling, Commissioner David Jones determined "more likely than not" Busch committed an act of domestic abuse.
Citing lack of evidence, the Delaware Attorney General's office declined to criminally charge Busch March 5. After Busch completed certain terms and conditions set forth by the sanctioning body, NASCAR rescinded its suspension one week later.
In his first race back Busch finished fifth last week at Phoenix International Raceway. The pole-run Friday puts him in good position to snap a nearly yearlong winless streak.
"This is huge for (SHR co-owner) Gene Haas," Busch said. "That is what I wanted to start the interview with is thank you Gene for believing in me. This is my job. Come to the track, drive the car and put it up on the pole and go for wins. That is what Gene has told me to do from the get go and I'm glad I have this chance to go back out there and live up to why he hired me. It feels good."
Rounding out the top-five qualifiers were Matt Kenseth, David Ragan and Kyle Larson. Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer will start sixth through 10, respectively.
Travis Kvapil and Reed Sorenson failed to qualify.
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