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| Photo Credit:Tyler Barrick/Getty Images for NASCAR |
With NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and crews receiving less than 4 days of time to decompress from the marathon event that was the 2012 Daytona 500, the Phoenix International Raceway approached as the second weekend on the auto racing series' schedule. Placing the first practice laps on the new 1-mile oval's surface Friday, the NASCAR Sprint Cup teams ready for their first non-restrictor plate event.
Early preparations for Sunday's Subway Fast Fit 500 in two Friday practice sessions indicated the Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota Camry were quick studies on the recently-laid Phoenix asphalt. In the first practice, Mark Martin in the #55 Aarons Toyota was second-quick behind Tony Stewart's #14 Chevrolet. In final practice it was the Michael Waltrip Racing cars driven by Martin Truex Jr and Clint Bowyer at the top of the speed charts.
During Saturday qualifying, Mark Martin justified Michael Waltrip Racing's strong practice session performances outrunning the then-pole sitting #78 Chevrolet of Regan Smith. Martin's lap time of 26.313 seconds and top average qualifying speed of 136.815 miles per hour was enough to repel the attack of Tony Stewart. Accepting the Coors Light Pole Award for the 52nd time in his NASCAR Sprint cup career, Mark Martin holds 2 wins in the series at Phoenix International Raceway. In Martin's pole at Phoenix in 2009, he led 157 laps to win for Hendrick Motorsports.
With Toyota taking its first pole of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, it was a fleet of Chevrolet Impala that took spots 2nd through 6th for Sunday's race. Tony Stewart, Regan Smith, Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ryan Newman are the members of the Bowtie Brigade wanting to claim Chevrolet first win at the Phoenix International Raceway since early 2010. The April 2010 win by Ryan Newman was the last of 10 consecutive victories for Chevy at the 1-mile Phoenix oval.
Rounding out the top-10 in qualifying is Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Kasey Kahne. The surprise winner of the fall Phoenix event for the now-sold Red Bull Racing team, Kahne was one of many drivers that dealt with uneasy travelling through the turn 3-4 complex in qualifying for the Subway Fast Fit 500. In order to salvage a 15th place starting position after qualifying after a slip in turn 3, the #15 Toyota piloted by Clint Bowyer would turn around on track and abandoned his first lap for better momentum in the second lap.
A short 312-lap event around the 1-mile desert oval track, the Subway Fast Fit 500 is set to start at 3 PM Eastern time.
2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Phoenix International Raceway
Subway Fast Fit 500
Qualifying Results
- 55 Mark Martin Aaron's Toyota
- 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet
- 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row / Farm American Chevrolet
- 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet
- 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
- 39 Ryan Newman WIX Filters Chevrolet
- 16 Greg Biffle 3MWraps.com Ford
- 29 Kevin Harvick Rheem Chevrolet
- 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
- 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
- 31 Jeff Burton Wheaties Chevrolet
- 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Brown Toyota
- 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota
- 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
- 22 AJ Allmendinger Shell Pennzoil Dodge
- 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota
- 47 Bobby Labonte Kingsford / Scotts Toyota
- 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield / Allez Cuisine Ford
- 51 Kurt Busch Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet
- 27 Paul Menard Menards / Tarkett Chevrolet
- 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
- 83 Landon Cassill Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota
- 36 Dave Blaney Ollie's Bargain Outlet Chevrolet
- 99 Carl Edwards SUBWAY Ford
- 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Filters Toyota
- 17 Matt Kenseth Best Buy Ford
- 23 Scott Riggs North Texas Pipe Chevrolet
- 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
- 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet
- 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
- 13 Casey Mears GEICO Ford
- 10 David Reutimann Accell Construction Chevrolet
- 26 Josh Wise Morristown Drivers Service Ford
- 34 David Ragan Barrett-Jackson Ford
- 49 JJ Yeley America Israel Racing Toyota
- 38 David Gilliland Rick Santorum for President Ford
- 98 Michael McDowell Curb Records Ford
- 87 Joe Nemechek AM/FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota
- 7 Robby Gordon SPEED Energy / Bashas' Dodge
- 33 Brendan Gaughan South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
- 93 Travis Kvapil Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota
- 32 Mike Bliss Southern Pride Trucking / U.S. Chrome Ford
- 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Toyota
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