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Kyle Busch claims first Atlanta NASCAR Cup Series pole

By Nick Tylwalk

HAMPTON, GA - FEBRUARY 23: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Snickers Almond Toyota, poses with the Pole Award trophy after qualifying for the pole position for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 23, 2018 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
HAMPTON, GA - FEBRUARY 23: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Snickers Almond Toyota, poses with the Pole Award trophy after qualifying for the pole position for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 23, 2018 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images) /
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Kyle Busch will start from the pole in Atlanta for the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career on Sunday.

Kyle Busch, and every Joe Gibbs Racing driver not named Denny Hamlin, had a Daytona 500 to forget. He’s going to do his best to make sure that’s not the case in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 by starting up front.

Busch beat out Ryan Newman by .038 seconds to earn his first ever Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Kevin Harvick and Daniel Suarez will start behind them in Row 2, while Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon starts 25th.

Another big talking point is sure to be the status of defending Cup Series champion Martin Truex, whose 78 team doesn’t appear to be on its game to start the 2018 season. Truex will start Sunday’s race 35th out of 36 cars after failing to even make a qualifying attempt, and to make matters worse, his Furniture Row Racing Toyota will be without car chief Blake Harris for the race — though crew chief Cole Pearn should be okay, a result of the car failing inspection just three times instead of four.

Next: Hard feelings remain between Hamlin, Wallace

Coverage of the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 from Atlanta Motor Speedway begins at 2:00 p.m. on FOX on Sunday, Feb. 25, with the green flag tentatively planned for 2:16 p.m. ET.

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 starting grid

  1. Kyle Busch – No. 18 M&Ms Toyota
  2. Ryan Newman – No. 31 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Chevrolet
  3. Kevin Harvick – No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford
  4. Daniel Suarez – No. 19 ARRIS Toyota
  5. Brad Keselowski – No. 2 Autotrader Ford
  6. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – No. 17 Ford Ford
  7. Kurt Busch – No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford
  8. Kyle Larson – No. 42 Credit One Bank Chevrolet
  9. Clint Bowyer – No. 14 Haas Automation Ford
  10. Erik Jones – No. 20 DeWalt Toyota
  11. Aric Almriola – No. 10 Smithfield Ford
  12. Denny Hamlin – No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota
  13. Jamie McMurray – No. 1 TBD Chevrolet
  14. Kasey Kahne – No. 95 Procore Habitat for Humanity Chevrolet
  15. Paul Menard – No. 21 Menards/Moen Ford
  16. Joey Logano – No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford
  17. Michael McDowell – No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford
  18. Alex Bowman – No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet
  19. Bubba Wallace – No. 43 NASCAR Racing Experience Chevrolet
  20. Trevor Bayne – No. 6 AdvoCare Ford
  21. AJ Allmendinger – No. 47 Kroger ClickList Chevrolet
  22. Jimmie Johnson – No. 48 Lowe’s for Pros Chevrolet
  23. William Byron – No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet
  24. Chris Buescher – No. 37 Kleenex Chevrolet
  25. Austin Dillon – No. 3 DOW Chevrolet
  26. Ryan Blaney – No. 12 DEX Imaging Ford
  27. Chase Elliott – No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet
  28. Ty Dillon – No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet
  29. David Ragan – No. 38 Fr8 Auctions Ford
  30. Matt DiBenedetto – No. 32 Can-Am/Wholey Ford
  31. Gray Gaulding – No. 23 EarthWater Toyota
  32. Cole Whitt – No. 72 TBA Chevrolet
  33. Jeffrey Earnhardt – No. 00 TBD Chevrolet
  34. Ross Chastain – No. 15 Low T Center Chevrolet
  35. Martin Truex Jr. – No. 78 Bass Pro Shops/5-hour Energy Toyota
  36. Harrison Rhodes – No. 51 Davis Roofing/Ice Chevrolet
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