Track:  Chicagoland Speedway, 1.5-mile oval, Joliet, Ill.
Pole Winner: Matt Kenseth

Pole Time:  29.469 seconds

Pole Speed:  183.243 miles per hour
TV/Radio: SPEED/MRN/SIRIUSXM

No. 34 Taco Bell Ford Qualifying Position: 40th

No. 38 Long John Silver's Ford Qualifying Position: 32nd

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series kicks off its 10-week playoffs this weekend with Sunday's Geico 400 at the high-banked, D-shaped oval of Chicagoland Speedway.  While not in the playoff mix, the teams of Front Row Motorsports are looking to secure solid finishes in the season's remaining races and secure a top-35 spot in the owner points for their No. 38 car.

The series was greeted with unseasonably cool late-summer weather on Friday, with temperatures barely topping 60 degrees and clouds covering the speedway most of the day. The field hit the track for two practice sessions, with J.J. Yeley climbing the highest on the speed charts for Front Row.  Driving at one of his favorite tracks, Yeley finished the first practice in 18th behind the wheel of the No. 38 Long John Silver's Ford and 15th in the final practice.  David Gilliland and the No. 34 Taco Bell team improved their speed over the course of the two sessions, finishing 29th at the end of the day.

Chicagoland's weather was much different on Saturday, with qualifying getting under way mid-day under sunny skies and warmer temperatures. Yeley successfully put the No. 38 team into Sunday's starting field, registering the second-fastest lap time of all the cars that had to qualify on speed. He was 32nd on the qualifying leaderboard. Gilliland was 40th fastest in his Taco Bell Ford Fusion, reporting something amiss under the hood during his time-trial lap. The team went to work after qualifying to diagnose and correct the issue.

Matt Kenseth will lead the field to the green Sunday after earning his second pole of the season. Paul Menard was second-fastest and will start on the outside pole. Front Row Motorsports' third team, the No. 55 Ford driven by Travis Kvapil, did not qualify for the race. David Starr, Stephen Leicht and Mike Skinner also failed to make the field.

Coverage of the Geico 400 begins Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN.

David Gilliland

Comments from No. 34 Taco Bell team driver David Gilliland after qualifying at Chicago:
 

"Track conditions felt very similar to where it was yesterday.  But we had some issue with, I think, the carburetor.  So we're going to go to work on that and get that taken care of.  We'll have a ways to go tomorrow, but I feel like the car drives good and our Taco Bell Ford Fusion will be what we need to get up through there."

J.J. Yeley

Comments from No. 38 Long John Silver's Ford team driver J.J. Yeley after qualifying at Chicago:
 

"It was an OK lap.  The car was a little bit too loose, at least for my comfort level.  When we went out, the racetrack had changed from what we had yesterday.  We had really good balance yesterday and the car was a little bit on the snug side, so we just left it alone.  I got through Turns 1 and 2 really good, a little bit on the edgy side, and going through 3 and 4 I just had a hard time getting the throttle down.  I legitimately thought we could run a 29.80, but at the same time I had to be smart about what I'm doing out there and know that going for it could cost me at the same time."

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