Homestead, FL – Kyle Busch will start on the pole for Saturday's Ford EcoBoost 300 season-ending Nationwide Series race after posting the fastest lap in qualifying at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Busch, who has yet to win a Nationwide race this year, turned a lap at 167.984 mph in his No. 54 Toyota. He claimed his third pole of the season and the 26th of his career in the series. Busch has won at least one Nationwide event in each of the last eight seasons. He holds the series record with 51 career victories.
While Busch will start first, the three drivers who remain eligible for the Nationwide championship will roll off second through fourth. Elliott Sadler grabbed the outside pole with a lap at 167.738 mph. Rookie Austin Dillon qualified third, followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr., the current points leader and defending series champion.
Stenhouse enters the 300-mile season-finale at Homestead with a 20-point lead over Sadler and a 25-point advantage over Dillon. Stenhouse will clinch the championship if he finishes 16th or better. The Roush Fenway Racing driver is also guaranteed of the title if he finishes 17th or higher after leading at least one lap or places 18th or better with the most laps led.
Joey Logano, who won last weekend's race at Phoenix, qualified fifth, followed by Justin Allgaier, Brian Scott and rookie Cole Whitt. Blake Koch and Regan Smith completed the top-10. Smith is making his Nationwide debut with JR Motorsports, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet.
Danica Patrick will start 14th.
Timmy Hill, Scott Riggs, J.J. Yeley and Morgan Shepherd failed to qualify for the race, which is scheduled to start just after 4:30 p.m. (ET).
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