Johnson wins Daytona 500 pole
| DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (AP) -- Reigning NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson won his second Daytona 500 pole on Sunday less than 24 hours after new teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the checkered flag in the non-points Budweiser Shootout. Michael Waltrip, disgraced last year at Daytona when his then-new team was caught in the post-qualifying inspection using an illegal fuel additive in his Toyota, had a great qualifying run, taking the outside pole. Only the top two qualifiers locked in starting positions for next week's 50th running of the Daytona 500. The top 35 drivers from last season's car owners points are guaranteed a starting spot in the 43-car field and Waltrip was one of 18 drivers who began the day competing for the few remaining positions. The rest of the starting field will be determined on Thursday in two 150-mile qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway. Johnson, hoping to join Cale Yarborough as the stock car sport's only drivers to win three consecutive Cup titles, previously won the pole here in 2002 and won the race in 2006. He had to drive a backup car, one of his team's short track entries, in the Shootout after a crash in practice on Friday. Johnson called it "a brick" before going out and nearly winning Saturday's race. Johnson was third in that race, with fellow Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jeff Gordon and Casey Mears fourth and sixth. On Sunday, Mears qualified sixth, three-time 500 winner Gordon was 10th, and Earnhardt 15th. The car Johnson drove on Sunday was designed to be run on the 2.5-mile, high-banked Daytona oval, and he couldn't have been happier with it. "Last night, we had a great race, but I really look forward to what this car can do in the Daytona 500," Johnson said. The four former open-wheel stars making their Daytona 500 debuts had mixed results in pole qualifying. Former Champ Car standout Patrick Carpentier was 11th fastest in qualifying, followed by 1997 Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve (12th), reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Dario Franchitti (39th) and three-time Indy Racing League champion Sam Hornish Jr. (43rd). Two of the four are guaranteed spots in the 500. Carpentier and Villeneuve will have to race their way into the 43-car field on Thursday. "It makes it difficult because even if you're quick ... you might have a bad qualifying race and not make the show," Villeneuve said. "That's a little bit tough." |
