NASCAR: Harvick dominates Indy qualifying

Kevin Harvick dominated qualifying for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, taking his fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup pole position of the 2014 season.

The Stewart-Haas Chevrolet driver topped the timesheets in all three sections of qualifying, establishing an early benchmark of 47.753 seconds in the final segment that would stand for the duration.

The only other man able to break the 48s barrier was current points leader Jeff Gordon, who will start alongside Harvick on an all-Chevrolet front row after denying Brad Keselowski, winner of the previous round at New Hampshire, in the closing stages of the session.

Last year's Brickyard winner Ryan Newman lines up in fourth place, ahead of top Toyota driver Brian Vickers, then Harvick's teammates Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch. Juan Pablo Montoya qualified eighth for only his second NASCAR appearance of the year.

Reigning champion Jimmie Johnson will start back on row six alongside Kyle Busch, with Matt Kenseth, Danica Patrick and Kyle Larson all just behind having narrowly missed the Q3 cut-off.

Title contender Dale Earnhardt Jr struggled during the second session and will start down in 23rd, four places ahead of Denny Hamlin, who was the biggest name of those eliminated in the opening segment.

Originally on Autosport.com