California’s Kevin Harvick wins pole for NASCAR Brickyard 400

Kevin Harvick has won the pole position for the NASCAR Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Harvick, a Bakersfield native who won the Brickyard 400 in 2003, turned the fastest lap in Saturday’s qualifying for this year’s race, at 188.470 mph.

“I wasn’t really expecting to have the car run that fast,” said Harvick, who is seeking his third Sprint Cup Series win of the season in his No. 4 Chevrolet prepared by Stewart-Haas Racing.

Four-time Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon qualified second at 187.770 mph, and Brad Keselowski, who has won two of the last three Cup races, was third at 186.893 mph.

This is the 20th anniversary of NASCAR’s first race at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a race won by Gordon.

Tony Stewart -- a two-time Brickyard 400 winner and co-owner of Harvick’s team -- qualified sixth for Sunday’s race.

Elsewhere in the 43-car field, four-time Brickyard 400 winner Jimmie Johnson qualified 11th, Kyle Busch was 12th, Danica Patrick will start 14th and Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified 23rd.

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