Martin Truex Jr. has stolen the spotlight, briefly, as he grabbed the Phoenix NASCAR Sprint Cup Pole.
Another Martin -- Mark Martin, the favorite -- won from the pole in the spring and was looking to duplicate that effort, but had to settle for tenth place.
Truex, who drives the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, took the pole with a fast lap of 135.120 mph around the flat one-mile Phoenix International Raceway oval.
Was he surprised at his pole winning lap? “Yeah, a little bit. It was a good lap,” he said. “I was pretty happy; wasn’t sure it was faster on first qualifying lap.”
“I did the same thing in the Spring,” but qualified 26th, but this time “ I just hit it right.” It was Truex’s third pole of the season including the Daytona 500.
Kurt Busch backed up his Texas victory, on Sunday, with a second place run in a Penske Dodge at 134.579mph. “Maybe some of the momentum of last week carried to today,” Busch said. “I was on the edge it felt on a tenth place lap. I feel our race car is a lot better.”
Points leader, Jimmie Johnson, was very happy to be back in a car after his disaster in Texas and turned the third fastest lap in the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
“It’s a good lap,” Johnson said. “It felt nice to go out there and blister a lap after frustrations of the last five days, we’ll see.
Kasey Kahne will start fourth in a Dodge.
Johnson is 73 points ahead of Martin with two races to go. And Jeff Gordon, who is third in the points 113 behind will start 14th on Sunday.
Another Martin -- Mark Martin, the favorite -- won from the pole in the spring and was looking to duplicate that effort, but had to settle for tenth place.
Truex, who drives the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, took the pole with a fast lap of 135.120 mph around the flat one-mile Phoenix International Raceway oval.
Was he surprised at his pole winning lap? “Yeah, a little bit. It was a good lap,” he said. “I was pretty happy; wasn’t sure it was faster on first qualifying lap.”
“I did the same thing in the Spring,” but qualified 26th, but this time “ I just hit it right.” It was Truex’s third pole of the season including the Daytona 500.
Kurt Busch backed up his Texas victory, on Sunday, with a second place run in a Penske Dodge at 134.579mph. “Maybe some of the momentum of last week carried to today,” Busch said. “I was on the edge it felt on a tenth place lap. I feel our race car is a lot better.”
Points leader, Jimmie Johnson, was very happy to be back in a car after his disaster in Texas and turned the third fastest lap in the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
“It’s a good lap,” Johnson said. “It felt nice to go out there and blister a lap after frustrations of the last five days, we’ll see.
Kasey Kahne will start fourth in a Dodge.
Johnson is 73 points ahead of Martin with two races to go. And Jeff Gordon, who is third in the points 113 behind will start 14th on Sunday.