NASCAR: Greg Biffle Sets Pace To Win Dodge Challenger 500 Series Pole
May 10, 2008
CIA Stock Photo, Inc.
It was Greg Biffle who set the pace, turning a blistering lap of 179.442 m.p.h night to win the pole at Darlington. He shattered the previous record of 173.797 m.p.h. set by Ward Burton in 1996.
“Everybody has talked about how the track is really fast, but it’s the same old Darlington,” Biffle said. “It will bite you as soon as you let your guard down, especially with the speeds now. You can get in trouble in a hurry, and I’ve been close to getting that (Darlington) stripe.”
Biffle’s lap in a Ford beat Hendrick Motorsports teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson, who qualified second and third for race in their Chevrolets. Earnhardt ran a lap at 179.357, while Johnson clocked in at 179.206.
It marked a comeback for the two-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion, who crashed two cars. He wrecked his primary on the third lap of the first practice, then had to replace the splitter on his backup when he wrecked in the second practice.
“I’m just glad I didn’t hit anything on that last run,” Johnson joked. “I’m very proud of my guys. I worked them real hard on two cars, and almost needed a third.”
Kasey Kahne, a three-time Darlington pole winner, wrecked his Dodge on his qualifying lap and joined the long list of drivers scratching their heads in the garage at the end of the day.
“I just feel like maybe I overdrove it,” he said. “It hit hard enough, I don’t know if we’ll be able to race this car.”
Biffle said he was fortunate to have so far avoided the wall, and hoped to parlay his experience into a third Darlington victory.
“The fatality rate is fairly high,” he said. “I walked through the garage, and everybody I’m parked around, the side of (the car) is wiped off a little bit. But that’s the nature of Darlington, for one. And two, on a brand new surface and a brand new tire, it’s going to happen.
“It’s almost good that it happens, because then you know where the limit is, where the edge is. Then you can say to yourself ‘I am not going to do that again.’ “
Tony Stewart tied his career-best qualifying effort at Darlington by claiming the fourth starting position, then the noted Goodyear critic praised the tire company for the compound it brought to the track this week. Goodyear used two test sessions to determine which tire to bring this weekend.
“The tires are good for here,” Stewart said. “It’s not the scary deal that we’ve had in the past, like we’ve had at (Las) Vegas. I’m proud of what Goodyear did, taking the extra time that they did, running a second test here to make the tires good.”
Kurt Busch qualified fifth and was followed by younger brother, Kyle Busch, and Elliott Sadler. Gordon, Scott Riggs and Bobby Labonte rounded out the top 10.
