For the second time in three races, Jeff Gordon will begin out front.
Gordon, who is racing in his final Sprint Cup season before retiring, broke the track record at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday during qualifying, clocking in at 194.679 mph. That speed demolished the mark set last year by Joey Logano at 193.278 mph and gives Gordon the pole for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400.
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The @3MRacing @TeamChevy wins the pole @LVMotorSpeedway . 79th career pole. 3rd pole in last 4 @NASCAR races. #Team24 pic.twitter.com/ollK6PmmBP
— Jeff Gordon (@JeffGordonWeb) March 7, 2015 "The last couple of weeks have been hard on the guys," Gordon told FoxSports after qualifying. "I think Alan (crew chief Alan Gustafson) especially, but all the guys have put so much effort into our race team. You want to start each season good and to be 36th or 40th or wherever we are in points has been tough. But nobody's given up."
Logano was fastest after the first round of qualifying at 193.092 mph and will start outside Gordon on Sunday when the green flag drops.
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Gordon only has one win in 17 starts at Las Vegas, winning in 2001. He has an average finish of 15.0. The pole is the 79th of his career. The only spots where he hasn't won a pole is Kansas and Kentucky with Kentucky the only track where he has not won a race.
"Each time I ran, I got a little bit more confident," Gordon told FoxSports. "The sun kept going down and the conditions kept getting better.
"I think the basic thing was just trying to understand how hard you could push it, could you run wide open and what kind of adjustments we needed to make. The first run wasn't very good and it made me a little bit nervous. Luckily we made it through to round two.
"The second run I was a little bit more conservative and it was a pretty good lap. The third one, I said 'I've got to go for it if we are going to be on the pole.' I went for it and I don't think I was wide open all the way."
Gordon won the Daytona 500 pole and raced well in the first Budweiser Duels, placing second behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. But then things took a turn for the worse. He crashed at the end of the Daytona 500, was one of 13 drivers who couldn't qualify at Atlanta due to cars having to go through inspection again then wrecked hard into an unprotected concrete wall during last Sunday's race.
But for now, he's feeling pretty good about where the team stands.
"This is a tough place," Gordon told FoxSports. "The bumps in one are tough, this tire is a little edgy. It certainly stuck great in qualifying. I can't wait to see what it does in race terms tomorrow, at practice.
"You've got to search around this track and get the car to work in different lines and a lot of things are going to change in the race. So far, I'm extremely confident with the way the car is driving."
Kasey Kahne and Earnhardt finished third and fourth, respectfully, and will look to change their luck at Las Vegas. Earnhardt leads the series in runner-up finishes with three with Kahne having two.
Didn't run wide open. Im guessing that's the difference. BUT, way way better this year in qualifying so far! Makes our Sunday much easier.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) March 7, 2015
Matt Kenseth will be beside Larson. Kenseth holds the top ranking for the most laps led in Sprint Cup Series history at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with 515.
Brad Keselowski had to be called back to inspection after a crew member was spotted pulling out the side skirt near the opening in front of the rear tire, a move that is prohibited for the 2015 season. Keselowski missed part of the first round, but was able to get back on the track and advanced to the final round. He will start 11th next to Tony Stewart.
"I honestly don't know enough to speak intelligently about it, so I will let the smart guys do that part," he said.
JJ Yeley also was held up in inspection, but made it onto the track in time to qualify 40th. Reed Sorenson, Mike Bliss, Travis Kvapil, Mike Wallace, and Matt DiBenedetto were unable to qualify.