Qualifying necessities

: Clint Bowyer, driver of the #15 5-hour Energy Toyota, stands in the garage during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway on June 8, 2012 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
: Clint Bowyer, driver of the #15 5-hour Energy Toyota, stands in the garage during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway on June 8, 2012 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

LONG POND, Pa. –During two days of testing Wednesday and Thursday at Pocono, the quickest drivers posted lap speeds of nearly 180 mph. Mark Martin’s best lap (50.142 seconds) was more than two seconds faster  than the track qualifying record set by Kasey Kahne in 2004 (52.164 seconds).

So, given the increase in speed, what will it take to win the pole for Sunday’s Pocono 400 presented by #NASCAR? Clint Bowyer didn’t have a specific number, but he had a definite idea.

“I don’t know — something the size of grapefruits, I’d say,” Bowyer said.

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.