Harvick’s 185.766 mph lap withstood a surprising late challenge from Paul Menard (185.724 mph), who will start alongside him on the front row.
“(Clean air) is going to be huge … handling is going to come into play,” Harvick told NBCSN after earning his third pole of the year — and 30th of his career.
“There’s a number of things that have to come into play, and hopefully we can finish today where we start.”
The race at Indianapolis marks the final event of NASCAR’s regular season, and two of the drivers on the playoff bubble really helped themselves in qualifying, with Clint Bowyer qualifying third and Jimmie Johnson posting the fifth-fastest time. Bubble drivers Daniel Suarez, who qualified 20th, and Ryan Newman (22nd) will start well back in the pack.
The green-flag time for Sunday’s race has been moved up to 2:05 p.m. ET.
NASCAR at Indianapolis starting lineup
What time does the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard start?
The Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard starts at 2 p.m. ET Sunday.
What channel is the race on?
The Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard will be broadcast nationally on NBC. The race also can be live-streamed on the NBC Sports app or by subscribing to fuboTV, which offers a seven-day free trial.
