Kenseth on Sprint Cup pole in Texas

FORT WORTH, TEXAS >> Tony Stewart turned NASCAR’s first 200-mph qualifying lap on an intermediate track Friday. He just did it too soon to win the pole for the Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway.

The top spot went to Matt Kenseth, who had a final-round lap of 199.299 while Stewart slipped to sixth after winning the second round at 200.111 mph on the high-banked 1 ½mile track.

“To be able to say we’re the first guy on a mile a half to run 200, that’s pretty cool I think,” said Stewart, who is coming off his first topfive finish since March after taking fourth last weekend at Martinsville. “Of course we were trying for the pole, but I missed the corner a little bit.”

Kenseth topped the eight drivers eligible for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship with a lap that also broke the previous Texas qualifying record of 198.282 set by Kevin Harvick in April.

In fact, there were 44 laps over three rounds that broke Harvick’s previous record. Nine of the 12 in the final round were faster than the April mark.

“It’s crazy fast,” Kenseth said. “It just amazes me every time you qualify here how fast you can go, especially when it cools off a little bit.”

Currently holding the last of the four championship-round spots with two races left before the finale at Homestead, Kenseth was the first driver out in the 5-minute final round. He hit the track with about 3 ½ minutes to go, and his lap held up.