NASCAR at Kansas 2017 Qualifying Results: Martin Truex Jr. Takes Pole

Martin Truex Jr. will start Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 from the pole position after posting the best time during the final round of qualifying Friday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. 

Kevin Harvick also earned a place on the front row for the crucial Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. It's the final event in the Round of 12 for the Cup Championship Playoffs, which means four drivers are going to get eliminated from title contention before next week's trip to Martinsville Speedway.

Ryan Blaney and Matt Kenseth are set to break from the second row after finishing third and fourth with their qualifying runs, respectively.

Here's a look at the top 10 starters for Sunday (via NASCAR.com):

1. Martin Truex Jr. (78)

2. Kevin Harvick (4)

3. Ryan Blaney (21)

4. Matt Kenseth (20)

5. Denny Hamlin (11)

6. Daniel Suarez (19)

7. Erik Jones (77)

8. Kyle Busch (18)

9. Jamie McMurray (1)

10. Clint Bowyer (14)

Truex secured his third pole of the season and the 15th pole of his career. Bob Pockrass of ESPN noted he also receives the added benefit of getting to choose his pit stall next week at Martinsville, which tends to serve as a pretty significant advantage.

So the current points leader should have a golden opportunity to further increase his lead over the next couple weeks. Taking advantage would go a long way to ensure he's one of the four drivers who gets to race for the championship next month in Miami.

NASCAR on NBC showcased his outstanding performance on 1.5-mile tracks like Kansas this season:

Meanwhile, it's hard to believe Kyle Busch finds himself on the bubble. He was dominant during the Round of 16, winning at both New Hampshire and Dover to force his way into the championship conversation.

That success hasn't carried over into the current round, though. The 32-year-old Las Vegas native finished 29th at Charlotte and 27th at Talladega to slide down into ninth place. A similar showing Sunday would likely leave him outside the playoff cut line.

In turn, Busch said he's treating the race just like he would if he was racing for the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the season finale.

"This is our first Homestead of this year," he told reporters. "We've got to come through this race. It's not a must-win, but it is a must perform. We've got to do everything right in order to go out there and be the top guy all day out of the four legitimate candidates that are fighting for the two spots available."

Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time Cup Series champion, is one of the drivers Busch is battling for those final few spots in the next round. A poor performance at Kansas could bring a premature end to his efforts to defend his latest title.

The driver of the No. 48 machine saw a run of seven straight finishes of 14th or better end last week with a 24th-place showing at Talladega. That said, he also hasn't won a race since the summer race at Dover back in June, a drought he'd love to break this weekend.

Johnson believes the pressure of being on the brink of elimination will have a positive impact.

"We are a team and a group that thrives on adversity," he said. "Whenever we have been backed into a corner we have always stepped up and have delivered. All the members of this No. 48 team love a challenge and we are not even close to losing that desire and that fight to be out there and compete and race for the win and race for the championship."

All told, the playoff elimination events often feel like a horse race. Every driver must act like a jockey, making the correct decision when to make their move. Too early and a wreck could destroy their championship dreams. Too late and there might not be enough time to make up the necessary ground.

Truex's car looked strong Friday night to take the pole. Expect plenty of drama between the moment he takes the green flag and when the checkered flag waves at Kansas, though.