 Although forty @-@ six drivers were entered in the qualifier ; according to NASCAR 's qualifying procedure , only forty @-@ three could race . Each driver ran two laps , with the starting order determined by the competitor 's fastest times . Martin Truex , Jr. clinched his third pole position of the season , with a time of 26 @.@ 643 . He was joined on the grid 's front row by Kurt Busch . Johnson qualified third , Kahne took fourth , and Hamlin started fifth . Biffle , Kyle Busch , Stewart , Casey Mears and Martin completed the top ten positions . The three drivers that failed to qualify were Regan Smith , Kevin Conway and Brandon Ash . After the qualifier Truex said , " ( Today ) we were pretty good in practice . This is a weird track where you go out in practice , then expect to pick up a half @-@ second somehow ( in qualifying ) . We did . It 's strange , but it felt good . " 
