NASCAR's biggest stars got a chance to live on the wild side Friday night in qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and no one did it better than veteran Matt Kenseth.
Kenseth won the pole for Saturday night's Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race, which will be just his second race since returning to the NASCAR Cup Series with Roush Fenway Racing.
Kenseth will be joined on the front row by fellow Roush Fenway Racing driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
ALL-STAR RACE: Schedule, drivers, how to watch live
The qualifying format called for the 17 drivers to run three laps, including a pit stop, with no pit road speed limit. That led to cars flying into the pits at high speed, a jarring sight for fans used to drivers strictly obeying speed limits in regular points races.
The drivers seemed to like it.
"It's way fun coming on pit road at 160," Kurt Busch told FS1.
Kenseth got into his pit box smoothly and his teammates got him out quickly, as did Stenhouse's crew.
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"Having both cars on the front row is a tribute to these guys … this was more about the car and the team than it was about me," Kenseth told FS1.
Up to four additional drivers can join the field for the All-Star race, and will start at the rear. The winners of the three segments of Saturday night's Monster Energy Open (6 p.m. ET) will make the field, as will the winner of a special fan vote.
The Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star race starts at 8 p.m. ET Saturday.
Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race starting lineup
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
3. Clint Bowyer
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Martin Truex Jr.
6. Ryan Blaney
7. Kyle Busch
8. Brad Keselowski
9. Austin Dillon
10. Joey Logano
11. Jimmie Johnson
12. Jamie McMurray
13. Ryan Newman
14. Denny Hamlin
15. Kurt Busch
16. Kasey Kahne
17. Kyle Larson