Hamlin wins Martinsville pole; Johnson qualifies 19th

Hamlin wins Martinsville pole; Johnson qualifies 19th



MARTINSVILLE, Va.—Denny Hamlin’s wish came true—what’s left is for the second-place driver in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup to maximize his advantage in Sunday’s Tums Fast Relief 500.
Hamlin, who has won the past two races at Martinsville Speedway, claimed his second career Coors Light Pole Award at the .526-mile short track during Friday’s qualifying session. The pole is Hamlin’s second of the season and the ninth of his career.
Hamlin posted a lap at 97.018 mph to edge Marcos Ambrose (97.003 mph) for the top starting spot.
Hamlin trails four-time defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson by 41 points with five races left in the Chase. Johnson qualified 19th Friday and has a lot of ground to make up on Hamlin to remain ahead after Sunday’s race.
With the pole comes the choice of pit stall, and the No. 1 box closest to the exit from pit road is clearly the most desirable.
Getting that pit box was part of Hamlin’s wish list before qualifying started.
“I feel like, if I can outqualify the 48 (Johnson), I can potentially keep him from leading one lap,” Hamlin said after the practice session that preceded qualifying. “We spent all day working on qualifying trying to get the pole—trying to get that first pit stall, because, obviously, we do feel like it’s very important.
“I think it’s going to be key for me today to try to outqualify the 48, not worry about him specifically, but get the best lap out of my car and if I’m ahead of the 48 then I could possibly set the tone in whether he leads a lap or not. That’s a 10-point swing. That’s a little bit of it. It all starts today, and that’s where our strategy’s at. Other than that, I plan on trying to go out there and lead the most laps and win the race—just like everyone else is.”
Greg Biffle (96.988 mph) will start third, followed by Ryan Newman (96.973 mph) and Juan Pablo Montoya (96.959 mph). Kevin Harvick, 77 points behind Johnson and the only driver other than Hamlin within 156 points of the Chase lead, will start 36th.
Despite his qualifying advantage, Hamlin offered a cautionary note about Johnson’s and Harvick’s starting positions.
“When the green flag drops, they’re going to be coming,” Hamlin said.
Michael McDowell, Robby Gordon, Terry Cook and Johnny Sauter failed to qualify for the 43-car field.
By Reid Spencer

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(October 22, 2010)