NASCAR at Kansas City 2018 Qualifying Results: Kevin Harvick Wins Pole Position

Kevin Harvick claimed the pole position for Saturday night's KC Masterpiece 400 by posting the best time in the final round of qualifying Friday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

Ryan Blaney will start alongside Harvick in the 12th race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season after finishing second. Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola will make up Row 2 after ranking third and fourth, respectively.

It's the 23rd pole of Harvick's career and his second of the current campaign.

Here's a look at the top 10 starters for tomorrow's race, via NASCAR.com:

1. Kevin Harvick (4)

2. Ryan Blaney (12)

3. Kyle Busch (18)

4. Aric Almirola (10)

5. Brad Keselowski (2)

6. Denny Hamlin (11)

7. Martin Truex Jr. (78)

8. Kurt Busch (41)

9. Joey Logano (22)

10. Chris Buescher (37)

Harvick's pole is the latest highlight in what's been a terrific start to the 2018 season.

The 42-year-old California native has already racked up four victories, including a win in last week's AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover, and has finished seventh or better in nine of the 11 races.

He also owns a solid track record at Kansas with 13 top-10 finishes and a pair of wins in 24 starts.

Fox NASCAR highlighted his pole-winning run:

NASCAR passed along his post-qualifying comments:

Blaney is still seeking his first win of the year, but he's still firmly in contention for a berth in the Cup Championship Playoffs as he sits seventh in the standings.

He can't match Harvick's experience at Kansas with just two Cup Series starts on the track, but he did finish fourth in this race last year. The Ohio native knows his front-row counterpart will be tough to beat Saturday given his current form, though.

"[Harvick is] head and shoulders better than everyone else right now," Blaney said, per NASCAR writer Jeff Gluck.

It's hard to argue. The pole-sitter was nearly a full mile per hour faster than Blaney in qualifying, and the margin was even more significant over the rest of the field, making him the favorite Saturday night.