Edwards wins All-Star Race pole

CONCORD,NC – Friday night’s qualifying session for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race had an “old school” feel.

While the qualifying session has always given the pit crews a chance to shine, NASCR changed the rules for the 2013 edition by the complete elimination of pit road speed.

It marked the first time since 1988 that NASCAR had no set entrance speed onto pit road.

That presented a new challenge to drivers in an already challenging format; something Carl Edwards was able to figure out better than anybody else as he won the pole for Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star race.

“If I did it 10 times, I don’t know if I’d go faster than that, so I’m real happy with it,” Edwards said.

Edwards was able to put together a three-lap cumulative speed at over 145 mph which included a pit road entrance speed approaching te 160 mph mark.

“It was petrifying,” Edwards said about the entrance speeds onto pit road. “I mean, it felt like a war out there or something.  It was crazy.”

Kurt Busch flanks Edwards on the outside of the front row while Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano round out the top-five starters.

The session was filled with drivers sliding over their pit stall as well as penalties including one to Dale Earnhardt Jr. for a loose lug nut, dropping him from third to fifteenth position.

Both Jimmie Johnson and Marcos Ambrose significantly slid through their pit boxes with Ambrose nearly hitting the pit wall in the process.

Kevin Harvick’s qualifying time was disallowed after his crew serviced the car while it was outside the pit box.

Sprint All-Star Race Qualifying Results: 

1. Carl Edwards 
2. Kurt Busch
3. Greg Biffle
4. Kyle Busch
5. Joey Logano
6. Clint Bowyer
7. Denny Hamlin
8. Mark Martin
9. Kasey Kahne
10. Jeff Gordon
11. Ryan Newman
12. Brad Keselowski
13. Tony Stewart
14. David Ragan
15. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
16. Matt Kenseth
17. Marcos Ambrose
18. Jimmie Johnson
19. Kevin Harvick