Kurt Busch won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Bud Pole for the Auto Club 500, lapping California Speedway in 38.485 seconds at 187.086 mph. Kyle Busch holds the track-qualifying record of 38.248 seconds at 188.245 mph, set Feb. 26, 2005.
This is his first top-10 start in 2006.
This is Kurt Buschs fourth Bud Pole in 186 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races.
This is Kurt Buschs first Bud Pole and fourth top-10 start in eight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at California Speedway.
Busch became the 10th different Bud Pole winner in the 12 races at California Speedway, joining Joe Nemechek (1997), Jeff Gordon (1998), Mike Skinner (2000), Bobby Labonte (2001), Ryan Newman (2002), Steve Park (2003), Kasey Kahne (May 2004), Brian Vickers (September 2004), Kyle Busch (February 2005) and Carl Edwards (September 2005). Jeff Burton (1999) started from the pole when qualifying was canceled.
Greg Biffle posted the second-quickest qualifying lap of 38.671 seconds, 186.186 mph and will join Kurt Busch on the front row for the Auto Club 500.
This is the first Bud Pole for Dodge in 2006. Chevrolet won the Bud Pole at Daytona.
Jimmie Johnson (third) posted his fourth top-10 start in seven races at California .
J.J. Yeley (fourth) posted his third top-10 start in three races at California.
Denny Hamlin (fifth) posted a top-10 start in his first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at California.
Jeff Burton (fifth) posted his second straight top-10 start in 2006. The last time Burton posted back-to-back top-10 starts was in April 2003, at Martinsville and California when he started 10th in both races.
Five drivers failed to qualify for the Auto Club 500: Travis Kvapil, Hermie Sadler, Derrike Cope, Randy Lajoie and Morgan Shepherd. Mike Skinner and Chad Chaffin withdrew prior to qualifying.(NASCAR Media PR)(2-24-2006)
