Ambrose Takes Michigan Cup Race Pole with 203.241 MPH Lap

Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Michigan International Speedway's brand new surface presented drivers the opportunity to orchestrate a rare feat in modern NASCAR Sprint Cup competition. With speeds exceeding the 200-mile per hour mark in Friday practice, the two-mile Michigan oval was providing an experience that was commonly seen at the Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway prior to restrictor plates were introduced during the late 1980s. With a qualifying time of 190.345 miles per hour recorded by Jamie McMurray in the second Michigan race of 2011, the 2012 qualifying session is set to become the fastest non-restrictor plate track time trial.

In the third practice Friday alone for Sunday's Quicken Loans 400, 14 cars exceeded 200 miles per hour for average speed around the two-mile track. Setting up what was going to be a fast qualifying session Saturday at Michigan International Speedway, speed in practice was repeated by NASCAR Sprint Cup cars. With 19 cars breaking the 200-mile per hour barrier in their timed laps into the Quicken Loans 400, the #9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford of Marcos Ambrose was the fastest during the very fast session. Lapping the two-mile, newly-paved oval in 35.426 seconds, the average speed through the pole-winning lap was 203.241 miles per hour.

Second fastest in NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying at Michigan International Speedway was the #29 Budweiser Chevrolet driven by Kevin Harvick. Harvick was two-tenths of a second slower than Ambrose translating to an average speed just over 202 miles per hour. Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman rounded out the top-5 for the Quicken Loans 400 line-up Sunday.  

Realizing that the fast times were also putting the reliability of the Goodyear tires at risk, NASCAR has allowed the tire supplier to provide a new set of left side tires for the weekend. A harder and predictably set to drop lap times for Sunday's event, the new Goodyear left-side tires are being supplied to Sprint Cup teams for the first time in a special 75-minute afternoon practice session after the NASCAR Nationwide Series race.


2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Quicken Loans 400
Michigan International Speedway
Qualifying Results

	Car #	Driver	Sponsor/ Car Maker
1	9	Marcos Ambrose	Stanley Ford
2	29	Kevin Harvick	Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet
3	16	Greg Biffle	3M/Salute Ford
4	5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
5	39	Ryan Newman	US ARMY Chevrolet
6	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford EcoBoost Ford
7	21	Trevor Bayne	Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
8	14	Tony Stewart	Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
9	20	Joey Logano	The Home Depot Toyota
10	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's Chevrolet
11	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Office Toyota
12	78	Regan Smith	Furniture Row Chevrolet
13	15	Clint Bowyer	5-hour Energy Toyota
14	55	Mark Martin	Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
15	43	Aric Almirola	Medallion Ford
16	56	Martin Truex Jr.	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
17	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	DietMtnDew/TheDrkKnghtRises/NtnlGrd Chev
18	27	Paul Menard	Menards/Duracell Chevrolet
19	1	Jamie McMurray	McDonald's Chevrolet
20	22	AJ Allmendinger	Shell Pennzoil Dodge
21	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Target Chevrolet
22	33	Austin Dillon	American Ethanol Chevrolet
23	23	Scott Riggs	North TX Pipe Chevrolet
24	13	Casey Mears	Valvoline NEXTGEN Ford
25	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Dodge
26	51	Kurt Busch	Phoenix Construction Services, Inc. Chevrolet
27	98	Michael McDowell	Presbyterian Healthcare Ford
28	24	Jeff Gordon	DuPont Chevrolet
29	19	Mike Bliss	Humphrey Smith Racing, LLC Toyota
30	26	Josh Wise	MDS Transport Ford
31	47	Bobby Labonte	Charter Toyota
32	83	Landon Cassill	Burger King Toyota
33	31	Jeff Burton	Caterpillar Chevrolet
34	18	Kyle Busch	Snickers Toyota
35	38	David Gilliland	Long John Silver's Ford
36	36	Dave Blaney	Seal Wrap Chevrolet
37	87	Joe Nemechek	AM/FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota
38	34	David Ragan	Front Row Motorsports Ford
39	93	Travis Kvapil	Burger King Toyota
40	32	Ken Schrader	Federated Auto Parts Ford
41	10	Tony Raines	Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
42	99	Carl Edwards	Fastenal Ford
43	49	JJ Yeley	America Israel Racing/JPO Absorbents Toyota

Mark Martin Takes Pole for Richmond Sprint Cup Race

Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

Coming off two races on 1.5-mile ovals, the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series are steered towards the 3/4-mile Richmond International Raceway for the Capital City 400. Recent NASCAR Sprint Cup series races on at Texas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway received less than enthusiastic fanfare afterwards based on what many said were dull events. A racetrack that has for years won the approval of stock car competitors and fans as a model for short-track racing, the Richmond International Raceway's Saturday night event is seen as a great chance to see a much-needed, action-filled 400-lap race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

For the second time this season, part-time Sprint Cup competitor Mark Martin placed the #55 Aarons Toyota on the pole position. Lapping the 3/4-mile short track in 21.040 seconds at a speed of 128.327 miles per hour, Martin edged the #99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford of Carl Edwards with a slim 0.006-second advantage. Mark Martin's pole position highlights the suspreme dominance of Toyota Camrys in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Richmond International Raceway. In the past 6 races held at the short track, Toyota entries won 5 of the events. However, every win by Toyota occurred with the Joe Gibbs Racing team in victory lane. Showing some outstanding pace this season, the three-car Michael Waltrip Racing team is currently the most united in front-running Performance. With Mark Martin on the pole, Martin Truex Jr starting in 8th place and #15 car of Clint Bowyer (a previous winner at Richmond) lined up 23rd, the chances of seeing a Michael Waltrip Racing victory this season may occur sooner rather than later.

Behind Carl Edwards, last summer's race winner Kevin Harvick starts 3rd alongside the #22 car of AJ Allmendinger. The previously mentioned Joe Gibbs Racing squad placed well after qualifying with Kyle Busch in 5th, Danny Hamlin 7th and Joey Logano 18th.

Still clawing for what will be a popular 200th win for Hendrick Motorsports, three of the four teams are starting in the top-10. Leading the Chevrolet-powered Hencrick Motorsports team is Jeff Gordon in 6th place. In order, Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance car and Dale Earnhardt Jr National Guard Chevy fill the fifth row of the Capital City 400. Mustering a 27th fastest run, Jimmie Johnson encountered trouble in qualifying resulting in his #48 Chevrolet being the slowest car of the Hendrick Motorsports group. Hendrick Motorsports has won ten times in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Richmond.

The 400-lap NASCAR Sprint Cup race is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM Eastern time.




2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Capital City 400
Richmond International Raceway

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Sponsor/ Car Make
1	55	Mark Martin	Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
2	99	Carl Edwards	Ford Eco-Boost Ford
3	29	Kevin Harvick	Jimmy John's Chevrolet
4	22	AJ Allmendinger	Shell Pennzoil Dodge
5	18	Kyle Busch	M&M's Brown Toyota
6	24	Jeff Gordon	DuPont Chevrolet
7	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Freight Toyota
8	56	Martin Truex Jr.	NAPA Brakes Toyota
9	5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
10	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	National Guard / Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet
11	43	Aric Almirola	Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes Ford
12	39	Ryan Newman	Army Reserve Chevrolet
13	51	Kurt Busch	Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet
14	9	Marcos Ambrose	Stanley Ford
15	78	Regan Smith	Furniture Row Racing / Farm American
16	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Dodge
17	36	Dave Blaney	SealWrap.com Chevrolet
18	20	Joey Logano	The Home Depot Toyota
19	47	Bobby Labonte	Bush's Beans Toyota
20	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Target Chevrolet
21	83	Landon Cassill	Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota
22	14	Tony Stewart	MOBIL 1 / Office Depot Chevrolet
23	15	Clint Bowyer	5-hour Energy Toyota
24	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford EcoBoost Ford
25	98	Michael McDowell	Curb Records Ford
26	13	Casey Mears	GEICO Ford
27	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's Chevrolet
28	16	Greg Biffle	3M / GKAS Ford
29	93	Travis Kvapil	Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota
30	31	Jeff Burton	BB&T Chevrolet
31	27	Paul Menard	Menards / NIBCO Chevrolet
32	26	Josh Wise	Morristown Drivers Service Ford
33	10	David Reutimann	Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
34	30	David Stremme	Inception Motorsports Toyota
35	87	Joe Nemechek	AM/FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota
36	95	Scott Speed	TWD Drywall Ford
37	1	Jamie McMurray	McDonald's Chevrolet
38	34	David Ragan	Front Row Motorsports Ford
39	19	Mike Bliss	Humphrey Smith Racing Toyota
40	33	Stephen Leicht	LittleJoesAutos.com / Link-Belt Chevrolet
41	38	David Gilliland	Long John Silver's Ford
42	32	Reed Sorenson	FAS Lane Racing Ford
43	74	Cole Whitt	Turn One Racing Chevrolet

Phoenix Rises in Qualifying: Mark Martin on Pole for Subway Fast Fit 500

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

 

1. 55 Mark Martin Aaron's Toyota
2. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet
3. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row / Farm American Chevrolet
4. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet
5. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
6. 39 Ryan Newman WIX Filters Chevrolet
7. 16 Greg Biffle 3MWraps.com Ford
8. 29 Kevin Harvick Rheem Chevrolet
9. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
10. 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
11. 31 Jeff Burton Wheaties Chevrolet
12. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Brown Toyota
13. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota
14. 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
15. 22 AJ Allmendinger Shell Pennzoil Dodge
16. 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota
17. 47 Bobby Labonte Kingsford / Scotts Toyota
18. 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield / Allez Cuisine Ford
19. 51 Kurt Busch Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet
20. 27 Paul Menard Menards / Tarkett Chevrolet
21. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
22. 83 Landon Cassill Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota
23. 36 Dave Blaney Ollie's Bargain Outlet Chevrolet
24. 99 Carl Edwards SUBWAY Ford
25. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Filters Toyota
26. 17 Matt Kenseth Best Buy Ford
27. 23 Scott Riggs North Texas Pipe Chevrolet
28. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
29. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet
30. 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
31. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Ford
32. 10 David Reutimann Accell Construction Chevrolet
33. 26 Josh Wise Morristown Drivers Service Ford
34. 34 David Ragan Barrett-Jackson Ford
35. 49 JJ Yeley America Israel Racing Toyota
36. 38 David Gilliland Rick Santorum for President Ford
37. 98 Michael McDowell Curb Records Ford
38. 87 Joe Nemechek AM/FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota
39. 7 Robby Gordon SPEED Energy / Bashas' Dodge
40. 33 Brendan Gaughan South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
41. 93 Travis Kvapil Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota
42. 32 Mike Bliss Southern Pride Trucking / U.S. Chrome Ford
43. 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Toyota

 

Truex Jr Tuned for Dover Cup Pole

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

Taking on the Monster Mile, NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and teams are set to compete on one of only two all-concrete track surfaces in the stock car racing tour. The third race in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup, focus on the top-12 drivers has dominated the past two NASCAR events aided by the wins of Tony Stewart. However, with 43 cars in a Sprint Cup Series race, Dover International Speedway was one of the final 8 races to obtain glory for any driver.

In NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying for the AAA 400, the #56 NAPA Toyota driven by Martin Truex Jr emerged as pole sitter on Saturday. Cutting a lap around the 1-mile track in 22.641 seconds, the Michael Waltrip Racing-owned stock car averaged 159.004 miles per hour. Stepping over Kurt Busch's #22 Dodge for the premium front row position, Truex Jr was a mere 0.003 seconds faster around the Dover oval. In 2009, Martin Truex Jr claimed his first and only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Dover International Speedway's spring event with #1 Chevrolet fielded by Dale Earnhardt Incorporated.

Assembling the top-5 behind Martin Truex Jr and Kurt Busch for Sunday's AAA 400 at Dover is Paul Menard, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch. With only 4 Chase contending drivers in the top-10 after qualifying (Jimmie Johnson in 6th joins the before-mentioned Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch), many of the championship fighters for the 2011 Sprint Cup will start deep in the field. Most notably in 28th place is current Chase championship points leader Tony Stewart. His immediate rivals were not entirely able to capitalize on Stewart's stumble in qualifying. Brad Keselowski starts 15th while Kevin Harvick (who trails the #14 car driver/owner by 7 points after 2 races) will launch 22nd tomorrow.

Starting at 2 PM eastern time, the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway is committed to run Sunday. Chance of showers is predicted for the event but is rated around a 30-40 percent probability.   

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup
AAA 400
Dover International Speedway
Starting Line-up

Pos # | Car # | Driver | Sponsor | Car Make

1. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
2. 22 Kurt Busch Shell Pennzoil Dodge
3. 27 Paul Menard Pittsburgh Paints / Menards Chevrolet
4. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
5. 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota
6. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet
7. 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
8. 47 Bobby Labonte grilling.com / Kingsford Toyota
9. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
10. 16 Greg Biffle 3M / Cubitron Ford
11. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota
12. 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
13. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
14. 0 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
15. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
16. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
17. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
18. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
19. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
20. 39 Ryan Newman US Army ROTC Chevrolet
21. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
22. 29 Kevin Harvick Rheem Chasing the Cure Chevrolet
23. 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's Chevrolet
24. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
25. 51 Landon Cassill Phoenix Construction / Thank A Teacher
26. 37 Josh Wise MaxQ Motorsports Ford
27. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
28. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet
29. 46 Scott Speed Red Line Oil / International Ford
30. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
31. 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Chevrolet
32. 55 Travis Kvapil Front Row Motorsports Ford
33. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
34. 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
35. 66 Michael McDowell HP Racing Toyota
36. 34 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford
37. 71 Andy Lally Interstate Moving Services Ford
38. 7 Reed Sorenson SPEED Energy / MAPEI / Menards Dodge
39. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
40. 32 Mike Bliss Street King Ford
41. 36 Dave Blaney Golden Corral Chevrolet
42. 87 Joe Nemechek AM FM Energy Toyota
43. 38 J J Yeley Drive Sober. Arrive Alive Ford

Kasey Kahne Clobbers Cup Field for Homestead Pole

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/ Getty Images for NASCAR

 

Homestead is the home stretch for the 36-race NASCAR Sprint Cup series of 2010. A 1.5 mile true oval track, the Homestead-Miami Speedway plays host to one of the closest three-way points battles since the Chase for the Sprint Cup format was innovated by NASCAR in 2004. With Hamlin, Johnson and Harvick separated by only 46 points entering the final race, the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup appears have the potential of needing all of the event's 267 laps.


Breaking a two-race pole streak Ford Motor Company products in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season, Kasey Kahne stormed to the Ford 400 pole his #83 Red Bull Toyota. Rounding the 1.5 mile in a time of 30.525 to take the final pole of 2010, Kahne and the Team Red Bull narrowly nicked Phoenix race winner Carl Edwards by a margin of just 0.031 seconds on the track. As qualifying concluded and the grid was set for the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, less than 7/10th of a second separates Kasey Kahne's lead time with the slowest race entry speed posted by 40th place Juan Pablo-Montoya.

Kahne's 4th pole of this season, this is the driver's first top time since making an early entrance into Team Red Bull Racing. Having parted ways with has long-time Sprint Cup team (the #9 car existing within Richard Petty Motorsports) after the fall Charlotte event, Kasey Kahne is spending some early seat time inside the #83 Toyota preparing for a full season for 2011. 

The Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing #1 Chevrolet of Jamie McMurray starts 3rd in this final event in afairy tale season for a driver many motorsport insiders wrote off prior to his victory at this year's Daytona 500. Bill Elliott is another continuing to make notable appearances in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. The Dawsonville, Georgia 1988 NASCAR Cup champion positioned the #21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in 4th. The #43 Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) Ford driven by AJ Allmendinger allowed 3 of the top-5 vehicles starting at the front of the Ford 400 to display a Blue Oval badge. A solid top-5 for Allmendinger within the uncertainty of RPM's 2011 operation, a bright spot for the embattled Ford team is qualifying where at least one team car started in the top-10 for 8 of the final 10 races.

In regards to the much anticipated final showdown Sunday for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup, second place in the points Jimmie Johnson starts in the best spot. Qualifying his #48 Lowes Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports 6th for the Ford 400, Johnson's so-called "drive for five" championships has the driver favoured (at least for the beginning of the event) to repeat the title victory which he's achieved the past four seasons.

Buried in 37th, current Chase for the Sprint Cup points leader Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Toyota will be need to pick up considerable ground over the 400 mile distance to complete the eagerly-awaited spoiling of Jimmie Johnson's Sprint Cup series dominance. A difficult job, breaking through the field of the Homestead-Miami Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup race is a custom for Hamlin having never started better than 25th in previous qualifying attempts at the 1.5 mile oval. Last year, the #11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin won the season's final event starting 38th on that day.  

Third 2010 Sprint Cup contender Kevin Harvick will also be required to make up some race distance after a lackluster time trial run. Starting better than Denny Hamlin in 28th place, Harvick's #29 Chevrolet will attempt to regain the series point lead honours which were stripped from the Richard Childress Racing pilot due to the Chase reformatting after Richmond. 

With engine set to roar at 1 P.M. Eastern for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup series finale Ford 400, expectations are to see a competitive event amongst the 43 who all have something to prove prior to the checkered flag.    



2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Ford 400
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Starting Lineup


# Pos  | Car #  | Driver| Sponsor/ Car Make

1. 83 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
2. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
3. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
4. 21 Bill Elliott Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford
5. 43 A J Allmendinger Insignia HDTV Ford
6. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
7. 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
8. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
9. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
10. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
11. 24 Jeff Gordon Dupont Chevrolet
12. 19 Elliott Sadler Stanley Ford
13. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
14. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
15. 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
16. 98 Paul Menard Mastercraft / Menards Ford
17. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
18. 12 Brad Keselowski No. 12 Penske Dodge
19. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
20. 47 Marcos Ambrose Clorox / Kleenex Toyota
21. 36 J J Yeley Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
22. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
23. 39 Ryan Newman U.S.Army Chevrolet 
24. 9 Aric Almirola Budweiser Ford
25. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
26. 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge
27. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
28. 29 Kevin Harvick Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet
29. 87 Joe Nemechek Young Eagles / HeatRedefined.com Toyota
30. 66 Mike Bliss PRISM Motorsports Toyota
31. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Old Spice Chevrolet 
32.  09 Bobby Labonte C & J Energy Chevrolet
33. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota 
34. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
35. 71 Andy Lally Anderson's Maple Syrup Chevrolet
36. 38 Dave Blaney A&W All American Food Ford
37. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota
38. 37 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
39. 34 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
40. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet 
41. 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota
42. 7 Kevin Conway ExtenZe Toyota
43. 64 Landon Cassill  Empire Steel Buildings Toyota

Carl Edwards Captures Phoenix Sprint Cup Race Pole

Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/ Getty Images for NASCAR

The second to last race in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway will be highlighted by a tight three-driver points battle for the championship. After 8 races in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup, Denny Hamlin holds a 33-point advantage on reigning champion Jimmie Johnson. Only 59 points out of the lead, Kevin Harvick (who led the points for much of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season leading up to the Chase) is still well within striking range of the Sprint Cup championship.

With 46 cars vying for the 43 positions during Coors Light Pole qualifying at Phoenix International Raceway, Carl Edwards emerged in the late proportion of the time trial session to obtain his 3rd 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup pole. Piloting his #99 Roush-Fenway Racing-backed Ford Fusion, the effort of Edwards defeated fellow Ford camp occupant AJ Allmindinger's #43 car. Lapping the one-mile desert oval in a record time of 26.395 seconds, Carl Edwards' margin of pole victory over the #43 Ford was just 0.027 of a second. 

As Allmendinger shot around the one-mile oval, he provided the second straight week for where a Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) Ford will start on the front row of the NASCAR Sprint Cup main event. Leading off with Elliott Sadler's pole at the last race in Texas, this late season performance is for sure offering a much-needed morale boost for the troubled race organization. The entire week leading up to Phoenix has been consumed with innuendo and rhetoric on the state of RPM believing the team is week-to-week. While plans for the 2011 season is still a big question mark for what form RPM will take in NASCAR Sprint Cup, the team has assured NASCAR fans their four-car stable will be present for the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In a press release, AJ Allmendinger bid strong kudos to the team behind his #43 Ford. “No matter what happens I’m just proud of everybody at Richard Petty Motorsports. There’s no secret of what we’re going through right now and it’s a tough time. All the crew guys here and all the guys at the shop listening and watching, they’re amazing people because it could easily tear this team apart." Allmendinger said.

Coming close to victory at Texas Motor Speedway last week, the Roush-Fenway Racing's #16 car driver Greg Biffle placed 4th fastest on the day to present three Fords in the top-4. Breaking a sweep was Kurt Busch and his #2 Dodge Charger. While Ford again shows some serious speed in qualifying, all four manufacturers were reasonably well represented with Jamie McMarray starting 5th on Sunday in an Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing Chevrolet and a #00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota piloted by David Reutimann 6th.

A one-mile track, Phoenix International Raceway's flat-banking and configuration lends itself in comparison to many smaller tracks which Sprint Cup drivers would cut their racing teeth on as they progressed through the ranks. A few surprise qualifying runs came from some less familiar stars of NASCAR. Starting 8th, Regan Smith and the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet flew around the Phoenix race track. One position below Smith, Aric Almirola took 9th place in the #9 Ford after only a handful of starts with the Richard Petty Motorsports team. In post race, Almirola commented "I was actually surprised at how fast it went for how bad it drove, to be honest."

As for the three drivers entering the Kobalt Tools 500 under the Chase points microscope, the best effort was posted by top-ranked Denny Hamlin in the qualifying session. Placing 17th in the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for a less than impressive time, Hamlin is starting at least four positions ahead his point rivals. In 21st place, Jimmie Johnson starts in the #48 Chevrolet and the #29 car of Kevin Harvick is seated in 29th place leading up to the flag Sunday. 


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Phoenix International Raceway
Kobalt Tools 500
Starting Lineup

1. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
2. 43 A J Allmendinger Insignia HDTV Ford
3. 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
4. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Scotch Ford
5. 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's Chevrolet
6. 00 David Reutimann TUMS Toyota
7. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
8. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
9. 9 Aric Almirola Budweiser Ford
10. 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
11. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Toyota
12. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
13. 47 Marcos Ambrose Little Debbie/Safeway Toyota
14. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
15. 17 Matt Kenseth Valvoline Ford
16. 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge
17. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota
18. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY Chevrolet
19. 98 Paul Menard Peak/Menards Ford
20. 14 Tony Stewart Old Spice/Old Spice Chevrolet
21. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet
22. 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
23. 19 Elliott Sadler Paralyzed Veterans Of America Ford
24. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
25. 83 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
26. 09 Bobby Labonte C & J Energy Chevrolet
27. 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota
28. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
29. 29 Kevin Harvick Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet
30. 12 Brad Keselowski No. 12 Penske Dodge Dodge
31. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Diet Mntn Dew Paint 88/Natl Guard Chevrolet
32. 36 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
33. 26 JJ Yeley Air Guard Ford
34. 7 Robby Gordon Polaris Toyota
35. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
36. 55 Mike Bliss PRISM Motorsports Toyota
37. 37 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
38. 38 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
39. 64 Landon Cassill Empire Steel Toyota 
40. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
41. 71 Brendan Gaughan South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
42. 34 Tony Raines A&W All American Food Ford
43. 81 Terry Labonte Red Line Oil Dodge

Jimmie Johnson Prevails with NASCAR Sprint Cup Pole at Dover

Photo Credit: Nick Laham/Getty Images

After a frighteningly bad start to the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup at New Hampshire last weekend, Jimmie Johnson and his #48 Lowes-sponsored Hendrick Motorsports team conquered the "Monster Mile" in NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying for Dover International Speedway's AAA 400. Taking a late draw in the qualifying order, Johnson overcame a 19th fastest time in the Friday morning practice session to beat out AJ Allmendinger and Martin Truex Jr for the third 2010 pole for the #48 Chevrolet. Driver fastest in practice Ryan Newman could only muster a 14th place run during the time trial at Dover.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase leader Denny Hamlin starts 4th for Sunday's race, 2nd place challenger Kevin Harvick (elevated to the position after a 150 point NASCAR penalty dropped Clint Bowyer from 2nd to 12th) will be working his way up from another poor start 33rd on the field.

Scheduled for Sunday afternoon at about 1:00 P.M. the engines will start for the second race within the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup.


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
AAA 400
Dover International Speedway
Qualifying Results

Top-10:

Pos #  |  Car #   | Driver  | Sponsor/Car make

1)           48            Jimmie Johnson        Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet (C)
2)           43            AJ Allmendinger       Insignia HDTV Ford
3)           56            Martin Truex Jr.       NAPA Toyota
4)           11            Denny Hamlin           FedEx Express Toyota (C)
5)           42            Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
6)           16            Greg Biffle                3M Ford (C)
7)             1             Jamie McMurray     McDonald's Chevrolet
8)             2             Kurt Busch              Miller Lite Dodge (C)
9)            98            Paul Menard            Sylvania/Menards Ford
10)          99            Carl Edwards           Aflac Ford (C)

Other Notables:

11)          18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota (C)
14)          17            Matt Kenseth            Crown Royal Ford (C)
15)          24            Jeff Gordon               DuPont/Law Enforcement Museum Chevrolet (C)
16)           9             Kasey Kahne             Budweiser/Stanley Ford
24)          33            Clint Bowyer              BB&T Chevrolet (C)
25)          14             Tony Stewart            Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet (C)
31)          12             Brad Keselowski       No. 12 Penske Dodge Dodge
32)          88             Dale Earnhardt Jr.     National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet
33)          29             Kevin Harvick           Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet (C)
42) 5              Mark Martin Delphi/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet

(C) denotes Chase contender

Ryan Newman Soars to Coca-Cola 600 Pole at Charlotte

Photo Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR

The site of Ryan Newman's first ever pole, the Indiana native again proved to have the magic touch during the NASCAR Sprint Cup's month of May festivities at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Taking his #39 US Army Chevrolet to his 6th pole for the Coca-Cola 600, Newman's top spot in qualifying will allow him to start his 9th NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Charlotte. However, despite mastering qualifying around the 1.5 mile oval, Ryan Newman has yet to win a points-paying Sprint Cup event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

While auto racing mogul Roger Penske will be able to relish the start of the 2010 Indy 500 with his team's driver Helio Castroneves starting from pole, Penske missed out on a sweep for poles in the two major Memorial Day weekend racing events. The Miller Lite #2 Dodge of Kurt Busch hunted past Penske Racing driver Ryan Newman thanks to a late qualifying draw. Carried on the momentum of last Saturday's Sprint All-Star race victory, Kurt Busch fast time was just 4/100ths of a second slower than his former teammate.

Like Kurt Busch, All-Star Showdown winner Martin Truex Jr set himself on a noble quest after a second pole following his fast time at Dover in the last NASCAR Sprint Cup points race. Performing well season-long in his first year with the #56 NAPA Toyota of Michael Waltrip Racing, Truex Jr and the team are finally getting sizable recognition for their 2010 efforts.

Rounding out the top-five in Coca-Cola 600 qualifying is the #9 Dodge of Kasey Kahne followed by his future teammate Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson in the the #48 Lowes Chevy sporting special Memorial Day weekend colours. With Martin Truex Jr mustering the best time from a Toyota Camry stock car with 3rd fastest speed, 6th through 9th place shows that Toyota is sporting a strong hand. Leading this group was winner of last year's rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 David Reutimann for Michael Waltrip Racing followed by the all three Joe Gibbs Racing cars. The #11 FedEx Toyota of Denny Hamlin led Joey Logano and Kyle Busch.

Anticipation for NASCAR's longest scheduled race will be accompanied with busy preparation for the #12 Penske Racing team. Brad Keselowski is being sent to a backup car after his primary Dodge race car made significant contact with the turn 4 wall of Charlotte.

The race commemorating the 50th year of the 600 mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Sprint Cup is scheduled for a 5:45 P.M. start time on Sunday
.

Coca-Cola 600 Qualifying
2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Charlotte Motor Speedway

Pos # | Car # | Driver | Sponsor/ Car Make

1) 39 Ryan Newman      U.S Army Chevrolet
2) 2 Kurt Busch       Miller Lite / Vortex Dodge
3) 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Batteries Toyota 
4) 9 Kasey Kahne      Budweiser / Armed Forces Tribute Ford 
5) 48 Jimmie Johnson   Lowe's Memorial Day Tribute Chevrolet
6) 00 David Reutimann   Aaron's / Armed Forces Foundation Toyota
7) 11 Denny Hamlin     FedEx Office Toyota
8) 20 Joey Logano      Home Depot Toyota
9) 18 Kyle Busch       M&M's Pretzel Toyota 
10) 33 Clint Bowyer     Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet 
11) 5 Mark Martin      CARQUEST Auto Parts / GoDaddy.com
12) 31 Jeff Burton      Caterpillar Chevrolet 
13) 83 Casey Mears      Red Bull Toyota
14) 77 Sam Hornish Jr.   Mobil 1 Dodge 
15) 24 Jeff Gordon      DuPont Stars & Stripes Chevrolet 
16) 17 Matt Kenseth     Jeremiah Weed Ford
17) 66 Dave Blaney      PRISM Motorsports Toyota
18) 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Credit Card Ford 
19) 87 Joe Nemechek     NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 
20) 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
21) 82 Scott Speed      Red Bull Toyota 
22) 36 Johnny Sauter    Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 
23) 29 Kevin Harvick    Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet
24) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ntnl Guard Honoring Our Soldiers Chevrolet
25) 21 Bill Elliott     Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Ford
26) 14 Tony Stewart            Office Depot / Old Spice Chevrolet
27) 1 Jamie McMurray   Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet 
28) 37 David Gilliland  Taco Bell Ford 
29) 64 Todd Bodine      Little Joe's Auto Sales Toyota 
30) 55 Michael McDowell PRISM Motorsports Toyota
31) 99 Carl Edwards     Scotts GrubEx Ford 
32) 78 Regan Smith      Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
33) 98 Paul Menard      Serta / Menards Ford
34) 47 Marcos Ambrose   Kingsford / Bush's Beans Toyota 
35) 6 David Ragan      UPS Ford
36) 7 Robby Gordon     Robby Gordon Motorsports Toyota
37) 12 Brad Keselowski  Penske Dodge
38) 71 Bobby Labonte    TRG Motorsports Chevrolet 
39) 19 Elliott Sadler   Air Force Ford
40) 16 Greg Biffle      3M Nexcare Products Ford 
41) 38 Travis Kvapil    Long John Silver's / Baja Fish Taco Ford
42) 34 Kevin Conway     Extenze Ford
43) 46 J J Yeley        Jake Owen Raborn Foundation Dodge

McMurray Snags Pole for Southern 500 for NASCAR Sprint Cup Race

Tom Whitmore/Getty Images for NASCAR

McMurray will start the new Mother's Day weekend classic Showtime Southern 500 on the pole Drawing 29th in the qualifying order, Jamie McMurray was lovin' the later draw to set fast lap on the 1.366 mile Darlington Raceway oval. Taking his 2nd pole of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the other pole position for the #1 Chevrolet came at California's Auto Club Speedway following the Daytona 500 victory for the Earnhardt/Ganassi Racing team.

In the Past 5 years at Darlington, McMurray's best finish has been a 6th in 2005 when he last drove for Chip Ganassi/Sabates Racing. Back with essentially the same organization absorbed as Earnhardt/Ganassi Racing, Jamie McMurray will be joined by Jeff Gordon on the front row. The second row will feature two Toyota Camrys with Brian Vickers placing was #83 Red Bull car in 3rd and David Reutimann placing his #00 Toyota in 4th spot. The #5 Hendrick Motorsports car of Mark Martin completes the top-5 running order as the defending Showtime Southern 500 race winner from the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

Four drivers who experienced off-outings through the qualifying session at Darlington was the #48 Chevrolet Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch's #18 Toyota, Kevin Harvick in the #29 Chevrolet and the #99 Ford driven by Carl Edwards. Johnson could only place his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in 22rd place as the deepest starter within the superteam for the Showtime Southern 500. The points leader by only a small margin heading into Dalington, Kevin Harvick will once again this season face a deep grid position with 35th place. Like Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch will also be the anchor to his Joe Gibbs Racing team taking the green on Saturday starting 39th place. As for Carl Edwards, he will be taking a car owner points provisional starting spot after issues with his #99 Roush-Fenway Ford Fusion.

Referred to as 'The Lady in Black', Darlington Raceway requires drivers to address this figurative lady with respect. However, deserving serious respect through this weekend is certainly mothers. For many years, the entire Mother's Day weekend was kept clear of any scheduled NASCAR Cup Series races. That changed in 2005 when Darlington Raceway was given a Saturday night show when NASCAR probably realized that even mothers enjoy a Sprint Cup race. Of Course, Sunday is still reserved for personal Mother's Day activities so the entire race was a win-win.

Alongwith honouring mother's, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Southern 500 on Saturday night will also see some extra commendations go to rewarding the history of NASCAR. Threatening to be forgotten due to the increasing change sweeping through the sport, stock car's premier sanctioning will soon have a monument of their own to acknowledge their heritage. Set within the home base of most NASCAR race teams in Charlotte, the NASCAR Hall of Fame prepares to open on Tuesday, May 11th amidst the major festivities through the second half of May which includes the Sprint All-Star race and the Coke 600 on Memorial Day weekend. In recognition of one of the inaugural class' members, McMurray's #1 Chevrolet will carry the name of Bill France Jr on the rear clip for the Southern 500 at Darlington. Bill France Jr. is of course known not only as the son of the founder of NASCAR but the individual credited for the major advances of NASCAR through the final quarter of the 20th century.



Jason Smith/Getty Images

Since the Darlington Raceway has been playing host to the May night race, the 1.366 mile oval is earning a reputation as a real action track. In the past 5 events, there has been a minimum 23 lead changes per race with as many as 35 exchanges in 2008. This one race date for Darlington has also been renowned as being a sold-out event attracting a solid fan following from the South Carolina area.

The Showtime Southern 500 will receive the command to start engines at 7:30PM Eastern time Saturday night with the race's television broadcast live on Fox.


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway
Qualifying Order

Top 10

1) 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's Chevrolet
2) 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont / National Guard Facebook Chevrolet
3) 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
4) 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
5) 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
6) 39 Ryan Newman Haas Automation Chevrolet
7) 47 Marcos Ambrose Kingsford / Scott Branded Products Toyota
8) 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota
9) 12 Brad Keselowski Penske Dodge
10) 9 Kasey Kahne Budweiser Ford

Other Notables

11) 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
12) 43 A J Allmendinger Insignia / Best Buy Ford
14) 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
15) 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
17) 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 27.620 178.045
19) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy / National Guard Chevrolet
22) 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
24) 14 Tony Stewart Old Spice / Office Depot Chevrolet
29) 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Black Ford
35) 29 Kevin Harvick Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet
39) 18 Kyle Busch Doublemint Toyota
41) 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford

Kyle Busch Will Lead NASCAR Sprint Cup Field at Richmond

Photo Credit: Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR

Taking pole for Saturday's running of the Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400 is the #18 Toyota of Kyle Busch. Lapping the 0.75 mile Richmond International Raceway short track at 21.247 seconds, Busch prevailed over the Michael Waltrip Racing-owned #00 Toyota of David Reutimann by 8/100ths of a second.

In 3rd and 4th spot, the Hendrick Motorsports team placed two Chevrolets behind the Toyota pairing starting the Saturday night Richmond event. Jimmie Johnson's #48 Chevrolet is one spot higher than the #24 of Jeff Gordon to secure the second row. Don't expect for any fuel to be added the overblown alleged feud between Johnson and Gordon. Reports have team owner Rick Hendrick sitting down with both drivers to talk through the rift between the tightly-knitted teammates.

Ryan Newman, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Brian Vickers and Clint Bowyer round out the top-10 starting positions.

Also capturing the pole for the NASCAR Nationwide running for Friday night, Kyle Busch has a lot positive history at Richmond International Raceway. The site of his first NASCAR race win in the than-Busch Series (now Nationwide Series) in 2004, Kyle Busch has been the highest finishing driver in the past 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup series events at the short track. Busch and his #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is also the reigning winner of the 400-lap race.

The running of the 2010 Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400 will be televised on FOX with the cue to start engines coming shortly 7:30PM.


2010 Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400
at Richmond International Raceway
NASCAR Sprint Cup
Starting Lineup

Pos # | Car # | Driver | Sponsor/Car Make

1) 18 Kyle Busch         M&M's Toyota
2) 00 David Reutimann   Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
3) 48 Jimmie Johnson   Lowe's / KOBALT Tools Chevrolet
4) 24 Jeff Gordon      DuPont Chevrolet 
5) 39 Ryan Newman      Army Medicine Chevrolet 
6) 12 Brad Keselowski   Penske Dodge
7) 29 Kevin Harvick    Reese's Chevrolet
8) 1 Jamie McMurray    Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
9) 83 Brian Vickers    Red Bull Toyota 
10) 33 Clint Bowyer     BB&T Chevrolet 
11) 87 Joe Nemechek     NEMCO Motorsports Toyota
12) 82 Scott Speed      Red Bull Toyota
13) 36 Casey Mears      H.D. Segar Inc. Insurance Chevrolet
14) 5 Mark Martin      Hendrickcars.com / GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
15) 43 A J Allmendinger Valvoline Ford
16) 2 Kurt Busch       Miller Lite Dodge
17) 31 Jeff Burton      Caterpillar Chevrolet
18) 14 Tony Stewart     Office Depot / Old Spice Chevrolet
19) 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
20) 47 Marcos Ambrose    Bush's Best Baked Beans / Kingsford Toyota
21) 17 Matt Kenseth     Crown Royal Ford
22) 9 Kasey Kahne      Budweiser 25th Anniversary Ford
23) 20 Joey Logano      The Home Depot Toyota
24) 19 Elliott Sadler    Reynolds Ford
25) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
26) 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
27) 77 Sam Hornish Jr.   Mobil 1 Dodge
28) 99 Carl Edwards     Scotts EZ Seed Ford
29) 78 Regan Smith      Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
30) 11 Denny Hamlin     FedEx Ground Toyota
31) 71 Bobby Labonte    TRG Motorsports Chevrolet
32) 98 Paul Menard      Schrock / /Menards Ford 
33) 16 Greg Biffle      3M Ford 
34) 32 Reed Sorenson    Braun Racing Toyota
35) 6 David Ragan      UPS Ford
36) 09 Mike Bliss       Phoenix Construction / Graceway Chevrolet
37) 7 Robby Gordon     BAMVIP.com / James Otto / Whitney Duncan
38) 34 Travis Kvapil     Long John Silver's Ford 
39) 26 David Stremme     Air National Guard Ford
40) 37 David Gilliland   Taco Bell Ford
41) 46 Terry Cook       The Atlantic Company Dodge
42) 38 Kevin Conway     Extenze Ford
43) 64 Tony Raines      Gunselman Motorsports Toyota

Tony Stewart Earns Long Overdue Pole Position at Texas

Photo Credit: NASCAR Media

Departing a three-race stretch which kept the NASCAR Sprint Cup season limited to tracks 1 mile and under, the stock car circuit enters the Lone Star state to compete on the ultra-fast Texas Motor Speedway.

Prepping for the Samsung Mobile 500, the Sprint Cup tour returns to the track which last season gave a slim chance for someone other than Jimmie Johnson to win the 2009 Sprint Cup championship. Now 2010, some NASCAR fans will probably be relishing a prospect that the 1.5 mile Texas Motor Speedway could curb Johnson and the #48 Chevrolet who has already enjoyed 3 wins in 7 races. Of course, providing competition for Johnson and Hendrick so far in this young 2010 season is the Penske Racing Dodge of Kurt Busch as well as the #17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford driven by Matt Kenseth.

With speeds averaging over 190 miles per hour guaranteed through qualifying, teams have been eagerly awaited the Texas race weekend as the true test for the rear spoiler configuration with the current spec Sprint Cup car. Whether stability and control will indeed improve racing will be demonstrated in Sunday's Samsung Mobile 500. However, Friday qualifying for the major NASCAR Sprint Cup event concentrates efforts for only 1 or a possible 2 lap run.

Triumphing in securing the top spot for the Samsung Mobile 500, the #14 Office Depot Chevrolet of Tony Stewart ran a top average speed of 191.327 miles per hour. Recorded as his first Sprint Cup series pole since the fall race at Martinsville in 2005, Stewart's last time starting 1st for a race occurred in a run to his 2nd NASCAR Cup Series championship. Comparing the 2010 qualifying effort to the fall of 2009 on the race track, the time was just 3/100ths of a second faster with the deck lid spoiler compared to a wing mount.

Starting beside the #14 Chevrolet of Stewart, Sam Hornish Jr #12 Dodge mustered a strong run in qualifying to secure the front row spot. While the presence of #12 Penske Racing Dodge in a front row starting position isn't a mainstay, it's interesting to note that Sam Hornish Jr has habitually found consistent qualifying speed at Texas Motor Speedway. Texas is tied for 2nd in his Sprint Cup career for average qualifying attempts.

Rounding out the top 5 for the Samsung Mobile 500 is the cars of Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson and this week's most talked about driver Kasey Kahne. A highlight from the NASCAR newswire has been the announcement that Kahne would be joining the mighty Hendrick Motorsports team in 2012. Determined to make the most from the majority of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule still yet to be run, Kahne's devotion is invested in the #9 Dodge of Richard Petty Motorsports.

Kyle Busch in the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing car is the highest qualifying Toyota for Sunday's race. Since the Toyota entered Sprint Cup racing in 2007, the Japanese auto company has yet to find victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway.

Amongst other notable drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr will start 9th, Texas winner from last fall Kurt Busch starts 11th, Jeff Gordon anchors in 12th and 2nd place in Sprint Cup driver points Matt Kenseth will start deep in 28th place.

Samsung Mobile 500 Qualifying
2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Texas Motor Speedway

Top 10

1) 14 Tony Stewart        Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet
2) 77 Sam Hornish Jr.        Mobil 1 Dodge
3) 16 Greg Biffle        3M Post-it Ford
4) 48 Jimmie Johnson        Lowe's Chevrolet
5) 9 Kasey Kahne        Budweiser Ford
6) 31 Jeff Burton        Caterpillar Chevrolet
7) 18 Kyle Busch        Interstate Batteries Toyota
8) 33 Clint Bowyer        Cheerios/Hamburer Helper Chevrolet
9) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr.     AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet
10) 39 Ryan Newman        U.S. ARMY ROTC Chevrolet

Other Notables

11)      2 Kurt Busch       Miller Lite Dodge
12)     24 Jeff Gordon       DuPont/National Guard Special Forces
15)  1 Jamie McMurray       Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
17) 43 A J Allmendinger      Insignia/Best Buy Ford
18) 20 Joey Logano       Home Depot Toyota
19) 29 Kevin Harvick       Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet
20) 99 Carl Edwards       Scotts Ford
21) 42 Juan Pablo Montoya    Target Chevrolet
27) 13 Max Papis       GEICO Toyota
28) 17 Matt Kenseth       Crown Royal Black Ford
29) 11 Denny Hamlin       FedEx Ground Toyota
30)      5 Mark Martin       Hendrickcars.com/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
42) 83 Brian Vickers         Red Bull Toyota
43) 32 Reed Sorenson       Dollar General Stores Toyota

Kurt Busch Takes Pole for Las Vegas Shelby 427 Cup Race

Photo Credit: Autostock/Penske Racing

Into the third race of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup, fans of the top stock car series have been treated to some unpredictable happenings in the first two events. The Shelby American 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the second non-restrictor plate race of the season and has the potential to help establish some firm ground under where the Sprint Cup teams stand for 2010.

On Friday qualifying, Kurt Busch piloted has Miller Lite Dodge won the time trials for the Shelby 427 pole. Perhaps gaining some inspiration from the dominance of Penske Racing's IndyCar teams testing performances at Birmingham's Barber Motorsports Park, Busch shot around the 1.5 mile oval at an average speed of 188.719 miles per hour striping the #24 of Jeff Gordon from the top position. Scoring pole in his hometown race, the elder Busch brother will likely enjoy a repeat result from last season when Kyle Busch's won from the pole.

With Dupont/Pepsi Max #24 Chevrolet nailing down a tough mark to beat for Busch, Gordon was little more than 1/100th of a second short of successfully holding off Busch's fast Dodge. In 3rd, Ryan Newman has ridden his Tornados-sponsored #39 Chevrolet attempting to fight the turbulence of an unfair 2010 campaign so far. Falling victim to a last race crash at the Daytona 500 and an engine failure at Auto Club Speedway, Newman currently sits 36th in driver points.

Dale Earnhardt Jr took the top spot early in the qualifying session for the second time of the year. As qualifying concluded, Earnhardt Jr's #88 Chevrolet settled into a 4th place starting position for Sunday's event. JR Nation fans wanting to see a turnaround for the #88 Hendrick Motorsport car in 2010 will be pleased to learn this weekend's qualifying effort through Earnhardt Jr's average start of 28.6 place in the past four visits to Las Vegas.

In 5th and 6th, the 2 of the 3 Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch and Joey Logano can present a definite challenge to the lead at Las Vegas. With Kyle Busch the reigning race winner in the #18 Toyota, Logano has been showing some real promise through the early stages of the 2010 Sprint Cup campaign seated 9th in points.

Rounding out the top 10 in Friday's qualifying is the highest-starting Ford of Greg Biffle, the #5 Chevrolet of Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya. Despite the aggressive performance that the Earnhardt-Childress Engine program has in the first two races of 2010, Montoya's #42 Target Chevrolet placement of 10th was the fastest of the group at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Current Sprint Cup points leader and fellow Earnhardt-Childress Engine runner Kevin Harvick could only muster a 34th place starting spot for Sunday's Shelby American 400 race.

In the middle of the field, multiple race winners Jeff Burton and Jimmie Johnson will be starting the event with not only their experience but with statistics on their side. Through the past 12 Sprint Cup races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the winner came from a starting position outside of the top 15 on 6 occasions. Four of those times became from between 23rd to 25st place.

With two 500 mile races launching the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the 400 miles around Las Vegas Motor Speedway might seem like a breather to the drivers and teams. However, these shorter races basically compresses the intensity level of the competitors as fewer laps mean a more flat-out race. These shorter events for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series also leaves less margin of error making even one pit road penalty a considerably more costly occurrence.


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Shelby American 400
Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Pos # | Car # | Driver | Sponsor/Car make

1) 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
2) 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont / Pepsi Max Chevrolet
3) 39 Ryan Newman Tornados Chevrolet
4) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
5) 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
6) 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
7) 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
8) 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
9) 14 Tony Stewart Old Spice / Office Depot Chevrolet
10) 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
11) 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
12) 99 Carl Edwards Aflac / Kelloggs Ford
13) 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
14) 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge
15) 87 Joe Nemechek FrontRowJoe.com Toyota
16) 12 Brad Keselowski Penske Dodge
17) 00 David Reutimann TUMS Toyota
18) 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
19) 9 Kasey Kahne Budweiser Ford
20) 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's / KOBALT Tools Chevrolet
21) 13 Max Papis GEICO Toyota
22) 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
23) 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota
24) 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's Chevrolet
25) 34 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
26) 98 Paul Menard Moen / Menards Ford
27) 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota
28) 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
29) 71 Bobby Labonte TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet
30) 36 Mike Bliss Kim Kardashian Fragrance Chevrolet
31) 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
32) 47 Marcos Ambrose Kingsford / Scott Branded Products Toyota
33) 55 Michael McDowell PRISM Motorsports Toyota
34) 29 Kevin Harvick Pennzoil Ultra Chevrolet
35) 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Gold Filters Toyota
36) 66 Dave Blaney PRISM Motorsports Toyota
37) 19 Elliott Sadler Stanley Ford
38) 38 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
39) 37 Kevin Conway  Extenze Ford
40) 43 A J Allmendinger Valvoline Ford
41) 26 Boris Said Southern Pride Trucking Ford
42) 7 Robby Gordon Monster Energy Toyota
43) 09 Aric Almirola Phoenix Racing Chevrolet