Jimmie Johnson will start Sunday’s Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville from pole position after emerging fastest from a typically tight qualifying session at the Virginia short track.
Johnson’s 19.40s lap proved 0.013s quicker than that turned by Michael Waltrip Racing part-timer Brian Vickers.
The pole position is the 28th of Johnson’s Sprint Cup career and his third of the 2012 season.
Kyle Busch and Jeff Burton make up the second row ahead of title contender Denny Hamlin and last week’s winner Matt Kenseth.
Brad Keselowski, who holds a seven point lead over Johnson with four races remaining, had a difficult run and will start just 32nd.
Australian Marcos Ambrose also struggled and will start one place behind the Penske Dodge driver.
“We just didn’t have much that lap,” commented Ambrose. “We were a little tight in the middle and loose off the corners.”
Mike Bliss and J.J. Yeley both failed to qualify for the 43 car field.
See below for the full qualifying result
|
POS |
DRIVER |
MAKE |
SPONSOR |
SPEED |
TIME |
BEHIND |
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Lowe’s | 97.598 | 19.402 | Leader |
| 2 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | MyClassicGarage.com | 97.533 | 19.415 | -0.013 |
| 3 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | M&M’s Halloween | 97.427 | 19.436 | -0.034 |
| 4 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | Odyssey / EnerSys | 97.392 | 19.443 | -0.041 |
| 5 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | FedEx Express | 97.382 | 19.445 | -0.043 |
| 6 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Ford EcoBoost | 97.272 | 19.467 | -0.065 |
| 7 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Office Depot / Mobil 1 | 97.257 | 19.470 | -0.068 |
| 8 | Clint Bowyer | Toyota | 5-Hour Energy Benefiting Avon | 97.247 | 19.472 | -0.070 |
| 9 | Paul Menard | Chevrolet | Zecol / Menards | 97.158 | 19.490 | -0.088 |
| 10 | Aric Almirola | Ford | Gwaltney | 97.108 | 19.500 | -0.098 |
| 11 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | Pepsi Max | 96.968 | 19.528 | -0.126 |
| 12 | Martin Truex Jr. | Toyota | NAPA Auto Parts | 96.964 | 19.529 | -0.127 |
| 13 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | Rheem “Chasing the Cure” | 96.959 | 19.530 | -0.128 |
| 14 | Joey Logano | Toyota | The Home Depot / redbeacon.com | 96.904 | 19.541 | -0.139 |
| 15 | Kasey Kahne | Chevrolet | HendrickCars.com | 96.869 | 19.548 | -0.146 |
| 16 | David Ragan | Ford | Where’s Waldo | 96.840 | 19.554 | -0.152 |
| 17 | Bobby Labonte | Toyota | Pine Sol | 96.835 | 19.555 | -0.153 |
| 18 | Ryan Newman | Chevrolet | Quicken Loans | 96.835 | 19.555 | -0.153 |
| 19 | Kurt Busch | Chevrolet | Furniture Row / Farm American | 96.751 | 19.572 | -0.170 |
| 20 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | Diet Mountain Dew / National Guard | 96.716 | 19.579 | -0.177 |
| 21 | Michael McDowell | Ford | Phil Parsons Racing | 96.706 | 19.581 | -0.179 |
| 22 | Casey Mears | Ford | GEICO | 96.681 | 19.586 | -0.184 |
| 23 | Carl Edwards | Ford | Geek Squad | 96.652 | 19.592 | -0.190 |
| 24 | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | McDonald’s | 96.578 | 19.607 | -0.205 |
| 25 | Juan Montoya | Chevrolet | Target | 96.533 | 19.616 | -0.214 |
| 26 | AJ Allmendinger | Chevrolet | Phoenix Construction | 96.391 | 19.645 | -0.243 |
| 27 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Dodge | Shell / Pennzoil | 96.273 | 19.669 | -0.267 |
| 28 | Ken Schrader | Ford | Southern Pride Trucking / U.S. Chrome | 96.156 | 19.693 | -0.291 |
| 29 | David Reutimann | Chevrolet | @TMone Drive Sales Fast | 96.141 | 19.696 | -0.294 |
| 30 | Greg Biffle | Ford | 3M | 96.112 | 19.702 | -0.300 |
| 31 | Josh Wise* | Ford | MDS Transport | 96.063 | 19.712 | -0.310 |
| 32 | Brad Keselowski | Dodge | Miller Lite | 96.015 | 19.722 | -0.320 |
| 33 | Marcos Ambrose | Ford | Black & Decker | 95.985 | 19.728 | -0.326 |
| 34 | Landon Cassill | Toyota | Burger King / Dr Pepper | 95.976 | 19.730 | -0.328 |
| 35 | Scott Riggs | Chevrolet | North Texas Pipe | 95.922 | 19.741 | -0.339 |
| 36 | David Gilliland | Ford | Long John Silver’s | 95.922 | 19.741 | -0.339 |
| 37 | Dave Blaney | Chevrolet | Mohawk Northeast / TMone Call Center | 95.811 | 19.764 | -0.362 |
| 38 | Joe Nemechek | Toyota | AM / FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves | 95.675 | 19.792 | -0.390 |
| 39 | Reed Sorenson | Toyota | Plinker Tactical | 95.574 | 19.813 | -0.411 |
| 40 | David Stremme | Toyota | Inception Motorsports | 95.545 | 19.819 | -0.417 |
| 41 | Travis Kvapil | Toyota | Burger King / Dr Pepper | 95.540 | 19.820 | -0.418 |
| 42 | Stephen Leicht* | Chevrolet | Little Joes Autos.com | 95.204 | 19.890 | -0.488 |
| 43 | Scott Speed | Ford | Jordan Truck Sales | 94.898 | 19.954 | -0.552 |
| 44 | Mike Bliss | Toyota | Plinker Tactical | 94.609 | 20.015 | -0.613 |
| 45 | J.J. Yeley | Chevrolet | MaxQworkforce.com | 94.609 | 20.015 | -0.613 |
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