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| Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR |
A wide-open 2011 NASCAR Chase and a track known for unpredictable auto action, the NASCAR Sprint Cup teams revisit the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway. While qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Good Sam Club 500 is not an incredibly important ingredient to victory at the restrictor plate race track, a top starting spot improves the options early for drivers and teams.
Drawing 42nd of the 47 cars qualifying, Mark Martin's and #5 GoDaddy.com Chevy swept past his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson for the top spot. Lapping the 2.66-mile superspeedway oval at 181.367 miles per hour, this pole at Talladega becomes Martin's 50th in his NASCAR Sprint Cup career and first since the 2010 Daytona 500. A track Martin himself called "The Lottery", the Talladega Superspeedway race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule his entire Hendrick Motorsports team is starting where the team left off following the spring event. With Martin and the #48 Chevy of Johnson on the front row, the remaining two cars of Hendrick Motorsports rests in the third row. Jeff Gordon starting 5th and Dale Earnhardt Jr in the field 6th, the four-car Chevrolet team is certified to be a race contender this fall event.
In the second row between Hendrick Motorsports cars, the #33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Clint Bowyer along with the 2011 Daytona 500 winning combination of Trevor Bayne and the #21 Wood Brothers Ford collected mounted successful qualifying attempts for top starting positions. In 7th through 10th place starting the Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway will be Paul Menard, David Ragan, Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman.
As the halfway point for the 2011 NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup, Carl Edwards leads by 5 points over Kevin Harvick and 7 points ahead of Roush Fenway Racing driver Matt Kenseth. While Edwards starts in the top-10 in his #99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, his teammate Matt Kenseth's #17 car rolls off 11th while the #29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Kevin Harvick starts 13th at Talladega. Fourth in points, Kyle Busch starts well in the back of the 43-car field for what was a lackluster qualifying for the entire Joe Gibbs Racing team. While Denny Hamlin will lead the Toyota squad from 31st place in the Good Sam Club 500, Kyle Busch starts 34th just ahead of Joey Logano. Expect these cars to work together on their way to the front at Talladega Superspeedway
Weeks before Talladega, NASCAR announced a series of rule changes designed to lessen the use of the "two-car tandem" where a pair of vehicles are engaged in aggressive drafting. A new restrictor plate increasing power by up to an estimated 10 horsepower, NASCAR also prevented teams from using anti-friction lubricants on the race car's bumper. Some teams, namely the Richard Childress Racing organization, concocted alternative methods of 'greasing' the bumpers by using slippery tape and adhesives.
The fifth race remaining in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway is set to start Sunday at 2 PM Eastern time. Weather forecasts call for a warm and partly sunny day.
2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Good Sam Club 500
Talladega Superspeedway
Starting Line-up
- 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
- 48 Jimmie Johnson mylowes Chevrolet
- 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 100 Years Chevrolet
- 21 Trevor Bayne Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
- 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
- 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Diet Mountain Dew Paint the 88/National Guard Chevrolet
- 27 Paul Menard Serta/Menards Chevrolet
- 6 David Ragan UPS My Choice Ford
- 99 Carl Edwards Subway Ford
- 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY Chevrolet
- 17 Matt Kenseth Jeremiah Weed Ford
- 14 Tony Stewart El Monterey/Office Depot Chevrolet
- 29 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John's Chevrolet
- 22 Kurt Busch Shell Pennzoil Dodge
- 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Energizer Chevrolet
- 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
- 38 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
- 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
- 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
- 97 Kevin Conway Extenze Toyota
- 47 Bobby Labonte Scott Products Toyota
- 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet
- 15 Michael Waltrip Aaron's/Darrell Waltrip NASCAR Hall of Fame Toyota
- 43 AJ Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
- 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
- 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
- 87 Joe Nemechek AM/FM Energy Pellet & Wood Stoves Toyota
- 55 JJ Yeley Front Row Motorsports Ford
- 66 Michael McDowell HP Racing, LLC Toyota
- 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
- 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota
- 32 Terry Labonte C&J Energy Ford
- 71 Andy Lally TRG Motorsports Ford
- 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Halloween Toyota
- 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
- 0 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
- 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
- 51 Landon Cassill Phoenix Construction/Thank A Teacher Today Chevrolet
- 7 Robby Gordon SPEED Energy/MAPEI Dodge
- 35 Geoffrey Bodine Luke & Associates Inc. Chevrolet
- 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
- 34 David Gilliland World Hunger Relief/www.fromhungertohope.com Ford
- 36 Dave Blaney Golden Corral Chevrolet
- 46 Scott Speed Red Line Ford
- 77 TJ Bell TRG Motorsports Ford
- 37 Josh Wise Bradley University Ford
- 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
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