May 12, 2017 4 min read

Ryan Blaney was all alone atop the leaderboard Friday during qualifying at Kansas Speedway.

He probably felt all alone on the track, too.

Blaney earned his first career NASCAR Cup pole for Saturday night’s race, but only after traffic jams at inspection prevented 11 cars from getting on the track. Among the big names that failed to turn a lap were Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne.

The left just 28 cars for Blaney to beat for the right to start up front.

“It feels really good. We got better and better each round and that’s all you can ask for,” he said. “It’s so cool to sit on the pole. We’ve been working really hard at it. We’ve been getting close – qualifying hasn’t been my best suit, but we’ve been getting better and better.”

Joey Logano will start second and Martin Truex Jr. third, while drivers that failed to get through inspection will start at the back based on car owner points.

“This is just, wow. Super disappointing,” Bowyer said. “You’re off 10-thousandths of an inch? It’s ridiculous. Most people can’t even understand how little that is. I get it. If you’re off, you’re off, but I watched my guys move the car and adjust the car accordingly for it and then actually overcompensate on it because we were worried about not making it. Then they wheel it back in and fail the exact same amount? Twice? That makes no sense. None.”

NASCAR has been closely monitoring tech stations this season, resulting in several cases where numerous cars failed to take the track. But the 11 cars that sat parked in the garage at Kansas was the most this year, raising red flags at a time the sport is trying to keep and attract fans.

“The only thing I’m not too sure about is how so many cars cannot get through,” said David Ragan, whose care also failed inspection. “Everybody is not trying to cheat on the same thing.”

NASCAR changed qualifying tech procedures this year, which could be partly to blame for the trouble. Teams only go through a quick safety and fuel cell check prior to practice, though they can voluntarily go through any of the four technical areas, so many don’t know they’re out of compliance until they’re trying to get on the track for qualifying.

Teams are also required to go through the entire inspection process again if a car fails any of the stations, a time-consuming endeavor.

NASCAR steps in when car has pot sponsor: Carl Long was forced to strip the logo of a Colorado-based marijuana vaping company from his car Friday after NASCAR said it violated rules governing sponsorship and paint schemes.

The logo for Colorado-based Veedverks was plastered on Long’s green and yellow No. 66 for tech inspection, but a NASCAR spokesman said it was never vetted and approved. And when officials learned of the hood logo, they had crew members remove it before the car went to the track.

NASCAR officials said it will not adorn the car the rest of the weekend.

Long returned to NASCAR’s top series this weekend after an eight-year banishment over an unpaid fine from a rules infraction earlier in his career.

Power wins IndyCar pole: Will Power won his third pole of the season after setting a qualifying record for the IndyCar Grand Prix.

The Australian completed the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course in 1:07.7044 to give Roger Penske his 250th pole win as an IndyCar owner.

Penske’s drivers again dominated qualifying, taking four of the top five spots. Brazil’s Helio Castroneves will join Power on the front row in Saturday’s race. American Josef Newgarden will start third. New Zealand’s Scott Dixon, of Chip Ganassi Racing, and Juan Pablo Montoya will start fourth and fifth. Defending champ Simon Pagenaud will start seventh.

Penske’s cars have won all five poles this season.