HAMPTON, Ga. -- Kasey Kahne, who took home a top-15 finish in the Daytona 500, kept his fast start going Friday evening at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The driver of the No. 5 Panasonic Toughbook Chevrolet SS led his Hendrick Motorsports teammates in qualifying, advancing to the final round and earning a 12th-place starting position for Sunday's race.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson both made the second round of the session but missed the final cut and will roll off the grid 17th and 20th, respectively, on Sunday.
Chase Elliott, who is set to make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at his hometown track, will take the green flag from the 25th position.
"Off a little bit than what we were hoping for, but the good news is it's a long race on Sunday and we have another day of practice tomorrow," the rookie said. "So hopefully try to get things a little better."
Kyle Busch took home the pole position for Sunday's race, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. on FOX.