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

 

NASCAR Sprint Cup: Phoenix's Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 Preview

With only two race to go, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series streaks into the Arizona desert to wage battle on the tight one-mile oval of Phoenix International Raceway. Coming off the unpredictable race last Sunday in Texas, the Chase for the Cup championship has become a fight again following the race turmoil that presented itself onto Jimmie Johnson and the #48 Chevrolet. Under the most pressing attacks of Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon, the spread between the three drivers are 112 points. Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart remains in mathematical contention but require an unrealistic breakdown of the key Hendrick Motorsports cars to make the 2009 championship a realistic possibility.

As much as the Sprint Cup Chase has captured headlines, Phoenix is the second to last chance for drivers to prove themselves before the season ends. One time championship contenders in the 2009 Chase for the Cup Juan Pablo Montoya and Carl Edwards. Having entering the NASCAR Sprint Cup series in 2007, Montoya has become a sensation through the second-half of the Sprint Cup season establishing himself and the #42 Target Chevrolet as a consistent front-runner. Having won 8 races in 2008, Carl Edwards have only 2 races left to prevent going winless in the #99 Aflac Ford 2009 season. Also noteworthy in this category is Dale Earnhardt Jr who is looking to shake the monkey off his back on the Phoenix racetrack which has been historically beneficial to the Kannapolis native. The past few months have allowed moments of excellence to shine from the #88 Chevrolet Impala only to be followed by a miserable finish as result of late race problems.

A track very favourable to Hendrick Motorsports, the Chevrolet juggernaut has swept the past 5 Sprint Cup series events at Phoenix International Raceway. Of those, 3 wins were captured by Jimmie Johnson's #48 team. 2nd place Mark Martin, just 73 points behind Johnson, enters Phoenix advantaged with most recent Cup series winner from the early spring race. Even more of a streak, Chevrolets has won past 8 Sprint Cup outings at Phoenix International Raceway.

The penultimate round of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is set to start at 3:15PM Eastern time.