{"id":18465,"date":"2018-06-01T17:54:09","date_gmt":"2018-06-01T22:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=18465"},"modified":"2018-06-01T17:54:09","modified_gmt":"2018-06-01T22:54:09","slug":"ryan-blaney-edges-kevin-harvick-for-pocono-pole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2018\/06\/01\/ryan-blaney-edges-kevin-harvick-for-pocono-pole\/","title":{"rendered":"Ryan Blaney edges Kevin Harvick for Pocono pole"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

LONG POND, Pa. \u2013 Just as he had done in winning his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series<\/a> race last June, Ryan Blaney<\/strong> kept Kevin Harvick<\/strong> behind him at Pocono Raceway<\/strong> when it mattered most.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards\/Duracell Ford, poses for a photo after winning the Pole Award during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway on June 1, 2018 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Blaney sped around the 2.5-mile triangular track in 50.877 seconds (176.897 mph) in Friday\u2019s knockout qualifying session to earn the top starting spot for Sunday\u2019s Pocono 400 (2 p.m. ET Sunday on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).<\/p>\n

In winning his first Busch Pole Award at the Tricky Triangle, his second of the season and the fourth of his career, Blaney beat Harvick (176.807 mph) by .026 seconds. Harvick, a five-time winner in the series this year, had the top speed in each of the previous two rounds.<\/p>\n

But Pocono is becoming a special track for Blaney, who got his first taste of competition in a quarter midget on the dirt track outside Turn 3.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always enjoyed this place,\u201d Blaney said. \u201cI enjoyed coming here to watch my dad (Dave Blaney) race. I made my first-ever start in a race car at the dirt track out there. So it\u2019s been special to me.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards\/Duracell Ford, climbs into his car during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway on June 1, 2018 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMe and Jeb Burton and Brandon McReynolds grew up racing scooters. There used to be a small Pocono with MRO (Motor Racing Outreach) in the infield over there. We used to race scooters around that. I have a lot of memories about this place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blaney and his No. 12 team also have developed a knack for negotiating the track with three distinctly different turns.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like we have a pretty good line of communication with where we need to be from practice to qualifying to the race. I feel very comfortable, and the team feels very confident, and that\u2019s always a good combination.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harvick had a pole-winning lap going until he slipped in Turn 3.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Beer Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway on June 1, 2018 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI thought we did a really good job of trying to pick a pace and trying not to be a hero on every lap, and we were able to pick up a 10th (of a second) in each round,\u201d Harvick said. \u201cWe got a little loose there in (Turn) 3, and I didn\u2019t want to tug on the wheel any more just because of the fact I didn\u2019t want it to get any looser.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I just let it slide to the center and had to wait and gave up a good solid 10th there. It was still a great lap for our Busch Beer Ford, and starting up front is a big deal here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jamie McMurray qualified third in the No. 1 Chevrolet, followed by Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. Kyle Busch, who picked up his fourth victory of the season in last Sunday\u2019s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, will roll off fifth beside brother Kurt Busch, who qualified sixth.<\/p>\n

Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon completed the top 12.<\/p>\n

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – Pocono 400<\/b><\/p>\n

Pocono Raceway<\/b><\/p>\n

Long Pond, Pennsylvania<\/b><\/p>\n

Friday, June 1, 2018<\/b><\/p>\n

               1. (12)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 176.897 mph.<\/p>\n

               2. (4)  Kevin Harvick, Ford, 176.807 mph.<\/p>\n

               3. (1)  Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 176.626 mph.<\/p>\n

               4. (78)  Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 176.516 mph.<\/p>\n

               5. (18)  Kyle Busch, Toyota, 176.478 mph.<\/p>\n

               6. (41)  Kurt Busch, Ford, 176.208 mph.<\/p>\n

               7. (22)  Joey Logano, Ford, 176.184 mph.<\/p>\n

               8. (31)  Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 175.864 mph.<\/p>\n

               9. (14)  Clint Bowyer, Ford, 175.798 mph.<\/p>\n

               10. (11)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 175.792 mph.<\/p>\n

               11. (9)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 175.230 mph.<\/p>\n

               12. (3)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 174.689 mph.<\/p>\n

               13. (42)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 174.676 mph.<\/p>\n

               14. (88)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 174.490 mph.<\/p>\n

               15. (48)  Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 174.365 mph.<\/p>\n

               16. (24)  William Byron #, Chevrolet, 174.253 mph.<\/p>\n

               17. (2)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, 174.213 mph.<\/p>\n

               18. (19)  Daniel Suarez, Toyota, 174.115 mph.<\/p>\n

               19. (43)  Darrell Wallace Jr. #, Chevrolet, 173.708 mph.<\/p>\n

               20. (21)  Paul Menard, Ford, 173.635 mph.<\/p>\n

               21. (38)  David Ragan, Ford, 173.297 mph.<\/p>\n

               22. (95)  Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 172.997 mph.<\/p>\n

               23. (17)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 172.473 mph.<\/p>\n

               24. (47)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 173.054 mph.<\/p>\n

               25. (20)  Erik Jones, Toyota, 172.808 mph.<\/p>\n

               26. (6)  Matt Kenseth, Ford, 172.612 mph.<\/p>\n

               27. (37)  Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 172.457 mph.<\/p>\n

               28. (51)  Cole Custer(i), Ford, 172.424 mph.<\/p>\n

               29. (13)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 170.914 mph.<\/p>\n

               30. (34)  Michael McDowell, Ford, 170.768 mph.<\/p>\n

               31. (15)  Ross Chastain(i), Chevrolet, 170.107 mph.<\/p>\n

               32. (32)  Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 168.685 mph.<\/p>\n

               33. (00)  Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 168.297 mph.<\/p>\n

               34. (10)  Aric Almirola, Ford, 167.115 mph.<\/p>\n

               35. (72)  Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, 167.032 mph.<\/p>\n

               36. (23)  Gray Gaulding, Toyota, 166.892 mph.<\/p>\n

               37. (7)  JJ Yeley(i), Chevrolet, 166.868 mph.<\/p>\n

               38. (99)  Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, 164.375 mph.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service LONG POND, Pa. \u2013 Just as he had done in winning his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race last June, Ryan Blaney kept Kevin Harvick behind him at Pocono Raceway when it mattered most. Blaney sped around the 2.5-mile triangular track in 50.877 seconds (176.897 mph) in Friday\u2019s knockout qualifying<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18466,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[16,605,252],"class_list":["post-18465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-nascar","tag-pocono-400","tag-pocono-raceway"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7hzTZ-4NP","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10511,"url":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2017\/06\/11\/ryan-blaney-makes-late-pass-holds-off-kevin-harvick-for-thrilling-win-at-pocono\/","url_meta":{"origin":18465,"position":0},"title":"Ryan Blaney makes late pass, holds off Kevin Harvick for thrilling win at Pocono","author":"Mike Haag","date":"June 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service LONG POND, Pa. \u2014 Dogged by Kevin Harvick for the final eight laps of Sunday\u2019s Axalta presents the Pocono 400, Ryan Blaney held off the 2014 series champion in a breathtaking battle to claim the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory of his\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "NASCAR"","block_context":{"text":"NASCAR","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/category\/nascar\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/MENCS_Pocono_Trophy_061117.jpg?fit=1200%2C786&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/MENCS_Pocono_Trophy_061117.jpg?fit=1200%2C786&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/MENCS_Pocono_Trophy_061117.jpg?fit=1200%2C786&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/MENCS_Pocono_Trophy_061117.jpg?fit=1200%2C786&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/MENCS_Pocono_Trophy_061117.jpg?fit=1200%2C786&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47264,"url":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/13\/ty-gibbs-earned-his-second-career-nascar-cup-series-busch-light-pole\/","url_meta":{"origin":18465,"position":1},"title":"Ty Gibbs earned his second career NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Pole","author":"racedaysaeditor","date":"July 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service Long Pond, Pa. \u2013 Joe Gibbs Racing\u2019s Ty Gibbs earned his second career NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Pole Position Saturday claiming the top starting spot for Sunday\u2019s The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "NASCAR"","block_context":{"text":"NASCAR","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/category\/nascar\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-2161905292-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-2161905292-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-2161905292-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-2161905292-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-2161905292-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18582,"url":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2018\/06\/03\/nascar-sunday-pocono-raceway-notebook\/","url_meta":{"origin":18465,"position":2},"title":"NASCAR: Sunday Pocono Raceway Notebook","author":"Mike Haag","date":"June 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"By Reid Spencer,\u00a0NASCAR Wire Service \u00a0 Ryan Blaney perseveres through trying day at Pocono \u00a0 LONG POND, Pa. \u2013\u00a0A promising Friday didn\u2019t produce a satisfying Sunday for defending Pocono 400 winner Ryan Blaney. After winning the pole position for the 14th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "NASCAR"","block_context":{"text":"NASCAR","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/category\/nascar\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/mencs_pocono1_blaneyharvick_060318.jpg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/mencs_pocono1_blaneyharvick_060318.jpg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/mencs_pocono1_blaneyharvick_060318.jpg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/mencs_pocono1_blaneyharvick_060318.jpg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/mencs_pocono1_blaneyharvick_060318.jpg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18568,"url":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2018\/06\/03\/martin-truex-jr-asserts-himself-with-convincing-victory-at-pocono\/","url_meta":{"origin":18465,"position":3},"title":"Martin Truex Jr. asserts himself with convincing victory at Pocono","author":"Mike Haag","date":"June 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"By Reid Spencer,\u00a0NASCAR Wire Service LONG POND, Pa.\u00a0\u2013 Taking charge of Sunday\u2019s Pocono 400 by staying out under caution on Lap 140 of 160, reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. pulled away after a restart with seven laps left to win the race and inject himself\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "NASCAR"","block_context":{"text":"NASCAR","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/category\/nascar\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/MENCS_PIR1_CheckeredFlag_060318.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/MENCS_PIR1_CheckeredFlag_060318.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/MENCS_PIR1_CheckeredFlag_060318.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/MENCS_PIR1_CheckeredFlag_060318.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/MENCS_PIR1_CheckeredFlag_060318.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27530,"url":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2019\/07\/27\/kevin-harvick-wings-it-to-win-pole-position-at-pocono\/","url_meta":{"origin":18465,"position":4},"title":"Kevin Harvick \u201cwings it\u201d to win pole position at Pocono","author":"racedaysaeditor","date":"July 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service No practice made perfect on Saturday at Pocono Raceway. Without benefit a mock qualifying run in practice, Kevin Harvick nevertheless made a decisive run to the pole for Sunday\u2019s Gander RV 400 at the Tricky Triangle (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "NASCAR"","block_context":{"text":"NASCAR","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/category\/nascar\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/MENCS_PR2_Harvick_Pole_Board_072719.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/MENCS_PR2_Harvick_Pole_Board_072719.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/MENCS_PR2_Harvick_Pole_Board_072719.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/MENCS_PR2_Harvick_Pole_Board_072719.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/MENCS_PR2_Harvick_Pole_Board_072719.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18546,"url":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2018\/06\/03\/nascar-race-preview-pocono-400-at-pocono-raceway\/","url_meta":{"origin":18465,"position":5},"title":"NASCAR race preview: Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway","author":"Mike Haag","date":"June 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 News, notes, audio and photos courtesy of NASCAR \u00a0 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Next Race: Pocono 400 The Place: Pocono Raceway The Date: Sunday, June 3 The Time: 2 p.m. ET TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 400 miles (160 Laps); Stage 1\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "NASCAR"","block_context":{"text":"NASCAR","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/category\/nascar\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/MENCS_Pocono1_Elliott_Johnson_060118-e1528033325716.jpg?fit=640%2C428&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/MENCS_Pocono1_Elliott_Johnson_060118-e1528033325716.jpg?fit=640%2C428&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/MENCS_Pocono1_Elliott_Johnson_060118-e1528033325716.jpg?fit=640%2C428&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/MENCS_Pocono1_PoleAward_060118.jpg?fit=4565%2C3094&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18465"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18465\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18468,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18465\/revisions\/18468"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}