NASCAR Watkins Glen 2017 qualifying results: Kyle Busch wins pole position

Kyle Busch topped Cup Series qualifying for a third race in a row.

Kyle Busch will start Sunday’s Monster Energy Cup Series race on the pole, taking the top position with a 126.925 mph lap around the Watkins Glen International road course during qualifying on Sunday.

The pole is Busch’s third in a row and sixth of the season, and follows the Joe Gibbs Racing driver scoring his first win of the year last week at Pocono Raceway.

Kyle Larson qualified second, followed by series points leader Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott and Daniel Suarez. Erik Jones, AJ Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski, Jamie McMurray and Jimmie Johnson completed the top 10.

Defending race winner Denny Hamlin advanced to the final round of qualifying, but did not turn a lap in the session due to a brake problem on the No. 11 Toyota. Hamlin’s team fixed the issue after qualifying, though doing so necessitated Hamlin forfeiting his 11th starting position and dropping to the rear of the 37-car field.

A brake problem also prevented Clint Bowyer from making a lap in the final round. He too will fall to the back of the starting grid after Stewart-Haas Racing made repairs.