FORT WORTH — Clint Bowyer went more than 200 mph like polesitter Ryan Blaney during NASCAR Cup qualifying at Texas.

“It’s so hard to sit here and explain to somebody what that lap feels like, and the adjustments you have to make,” Bowyer said. “You have to be committed. You can’t just feel it out at that point.”

Blaney earned the pole Friday at 200.505 mph at the 1 1/2-mile Texas track, just ahead of Bowyer’s 200.230 mph lap that was the fastest of the eight contenders still alive in the playoff.

“Really fast lap after leaving Martinsville, of all places,” Bowyer said, referring to last week’s race at the half-mile paperclip-shaped track.

Blaney described the fast lap of just under 27 seconds as like almost holding his breath.

All four Stewart-Haas drivers were the top qualifiers among the championship contenders. Bowyer led the way, with teammates Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola in the second row. Kurt Busch, who was going for his third consecutive poll at Texas, qualified seventh.

The only non-Ford in the top seven was the No. 11 Toyota of non-playoff driver Denny Hamlin in the sixth spot.

Joey Logano, who is already locked into the season finale at Homestead after his win at Martinsville last week, qualified eighth, with Kyle Busch 10th.

Two of the playoff contenders didn’t make it into the final round of qualifying.

Martin Truex Jr, the defending Cup champion, qualified 13th and three spots ahead of Chase Elliott.

SHORT OF A RECORD

In qualifying at Texas last November, Busch ran 200.915 mph on his only lap in the final round of qualifying to set the track record. Five drivers qualified at more than 200 mph for that race.

OUT OFTOP 10 AGAIN

Elliott was the worst of the playoff qualifiers at Texas for the second year in a row. Last fall at Texas, seven of the eight championship contenders stalled in the top 10 spots. The only one that didn’t was Elliott, who was among seven drivel’s who didn’t make any qualifying laps after not making it through tech inspection in time. He started 34th, and went on to finish eighth.

NASCAR – AAA Texas 500 Lineup Friday’s qualifying; race Sunday At Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth

(Car number in parentheses)

1. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 200.505 mph

2. (14) Clint Bowyer, Ford, 200.230

3. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 199.941

4. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford, 199.778

5. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 199.527

6. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 199.255

7. (41) Kurt Busch, Ford, 199.225

8. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 199.086

9. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet, 199.071

10. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 198.705

11. (21) Paul Menard, Ford, 197.954

12. (20) Erik Jones, Toyota, 197.853

13. (78) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 197.962

14. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 197.925

15. (6) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 197.715

16. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 197.686

17. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 197.592

18. (88) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 197.542

19. (19) Daniel Suarez, Toyota, 197.397

20. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 197.383

21. (37) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 197.087

22. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 196.815

23. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 196.728

24. (13) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 196.514

25. (47) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 196.007

26. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 195.327

27. (38) David Ragan, Ford, 195.221

28. (95) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 194.749

29. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford, 194.475

30. (43) Bubba Wallace, Chevrolet, 194.398

31. (32) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 192.404

32. (00) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 191.843

33. (15) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 191.299

34. (96) Parker Kligerman, Toyota, 191.110

35. (23) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 190.268

36. (99) Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, 189.221

37. (72) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 188.824

38. (7) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 187.598

39. (51) Joey Gase, Ford, 183.076

40. (97) David Starr, Toyota, 181.305