(By Greg Engle)
Posted: Friday,November 20th, 2009
(By Sarah Farlee, CupScene.com senior staff writer)
Homestead, FL - Jimmie Johnson took his first step toward a history making weekend by qualifying on the pole for Sunday’s Ford 400 at Homestead Miami Speedway. Johnson’s lap of 173.919 mph was good enough to start up front.
There will be Speed next to Johnson as the field comes to green - Scott Speed.
Speed’s best lap of 172.695 mph puts him on the outside pole for the second consecutive year. This year, however, he’ll be next to the man chasing history and his fourth consecutive championship.
“Certainly you don’t want to be the guy who takes out the 48,” said Speed.
HOMESTEAD, FL - NOVEMBER 20: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, wins the pole award after qualifying first for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20, 2009 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
“We can take advantage of it and run good on Sunday and have a strong end to the year,” Speed added.
Speed will approach the start of the race much like anyone else would in his position.
“Carefully,” Speed said.
Marcos Ambrose (172.678 mph) qualified third and will take the same approach as Speed. Ambrose feels as though the momentum is good for his team. He also feels following Johnson into turn one, can’t hurt.
“He’s got a halo bar around him,” said Ambrose, who won’t race Johnson hard. “You don’t want to be the guy that takes the championship away.”
Johnson knows starting on the pole puts both driver and team in a great position, but he’s still not getting ahead of himself.
“It does give you confidence,” said Johnson. “We’ll use the momentum for sure. We don’t’ want to get cocky or too confident.”
Johnson treading lightly when it comes to getting over confident is justified. Teammate Mark Martin, Johnson’s only legitimate competition for the Sprint Cup, qualified fourth (172.353 mph). Tony Stewart (172.243 mph) rounds out the top-five.
Kevin Harvick (172.144 mph) qualified sixth, Ryan Newman (172.024 mph) starts seventh and Greg Biffle (172.024 mph) will start eighth. Bill Elliott, running a partial schedule had to qualify on time and his lap of 171.860 mph was good enough to qualify ninth. Clint Bowyer (171.838 mph) rounds out the top-10.
Johnson will eliminate the Chase for the Sprint Cup field, with the exception of Martin, by simply starting the race on Sunday. The race for the Cup may be over, but Kurt Busch wants to finish the season in the top five point’s positions. Busch (171.794 mph) starts 12th.
The remaining Chase field qualified outside the top-15. Jeff Gordon (171.336 mph) starts 20th, Juan Pablo Montoya (171.162 mph), Carl Edwards (170.994 mph) and Kasey Kahne (170.967 mph) qualified 23rd, 24th, and 25th.
Brian Vickers (170.412 mph) and Denny Hamlin (169.715 mph) qualified outside the top-30. Vickers will start 33rd and Hamlin 38th.
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