Deadspin | Kyle Larson tops Chris Buescher once more, this time for NASCAR Cup pole at Kansas

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — If Chris Buescher were not uninterested in Kyle Larson after closing 12 months’s record-close end at Kansas Speedway, he surely must be after Saturday’s qualifying consultation on the 1.5-mile monitor.

Running what he referred to as “a perfect-feeling lap,” Larson — the closing motive force to make a run all through time trials — knocked Buescher off the provisional pole for Sunday’s Advent Health 400 (3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Larson scorched the intermediate speedway with a lap at 183.730 mph (29.391 seconds), beating Buescher (183.374 mph) for the highest beginning spot by way of 0.057 seconds. That was once a wider margin, slightly talking, than the heartbreaking 0.001-second benefit Larson held over the Roush Fenway Keselowski motive force on the finish of closing 12 months’s spring race at Kansas.

The Busch Light Pole Award was once Larson’s first of the season, his first at Kansas and the 22nd of his occupation. The pole is the 14th at Kansas for Chevrolet and the 7th this season for the car maker.

“The qualifying lap felt really good,” Larson stated. “You’re watching SMT (data), and you can see that drivers are starting to hold it easy wide open in (Turns) 1 and 2. In (Turns) 3 and 4, some guys were getting tight.

“Buescher was once in a position to run a just right 3 and 4. I roughly had a plan at the line I sought after to run and simply attempt to fit it with the throttle, and by chance, the whole thing went nice. My steadiness felt truly just right, I felt like I hit my marks and got here up to the mark via 3 and 4 just right, so it was once a perfect-feeling lap.”

In last spring’s race, Larson surged forward at the finish to edge Buescher by less than 4 inches. That Buescher was again the victim of the speed in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was not lost on the pole winner.

“It’s no doubt ironic and truly cool,” Larson said. “I feel it provides to the tale line of what took place closing 12 months and almost certainly builds anticipation for the race (on Sunday). I would possibly not be interested by it, I assume, after we’re rolling round underneath warning, however, yeah, it is ironic and humorous and funky all on the identical time.”

Christopher Bell (183.268 mph) was third-fastest in time trials, falling two positions short of his fourth straight Kansas Speedway pole.

Tyler Reddick qualified fourth at 183.150 mph, followed by last Sunday’s Texas winner Joey Logano at 182.871 mph.

Ty Gibbs, William Byron, Daniel Suarez, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney will start sixth through 10th, respectively.

Kyle Busch and Josh Berry both hit the outside wall during their qualifying laps and will start 35th and 38th in Sunday’s race.

–By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media.