The best medicine for a bad run is a victory the next time out, and Jimmie Johnson took the first step in that direction Friday at Dover International Speedway.
With a lap at 155.736 mph (23.116 seconds), Johnson won the pole for Sunday’s AAA 400 Cup Series race at the Monster Mile, edging A.J. Allmendinger (155.642 mph) for the top starting spot.
Mark Martin, Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, initially qualified third but will start 42nd because his time was disallowed after the gas pressure in the right rear shock of his No. 5 Chevrolet was found to be too high in inspection.
Accordingly, Martin Truex Jr. (155.353 mph) will start third, followed by points leader Denny Hamlin and Juan Montoya. NASCAR.com
“This is certainly a step in the right direction for momentum,” Johnson said. “Last weekend we ran much better than where we finished. It certainly isn’t the way we wanted to start the Chase. We were in the eye of the storm a few times and had some issues and lost track position. Then we had an issue (loose lug nuts) with the right front tire.
“It’s not what you want but there are still nine races left and (it’s) no time to panic. We don’t need to change what we’re doing. We know we’re a great race team.”
At the same time, Johnson knows his margin for error has been minimized. He goes into Sunday trailing Hamlin by 92 points.
“I guess, looking forward, all nine (remaining races) need to be good for me,” said Johnson, who has five wins and 11 top-10 finishes in 17 career starts at Dover.
“This has always been a very fun race track for me. Practice (Friday) was in the not-so-fun category, but we made some good changes to the car and was able to get a good lap.” USA Today
While Johnson has thrived at Dover, Hamlin is 0 for 9 with only two top-five finishes. His average finish is 22.8 — only Daytona at 23.1 is worse for the Joe Gibbs Racing contender.
“I think our chances of winning this race are probably slim and I think we know that,” Hamlin said before taking his lap. “This is just a track that really challenges me, but I think we can go out there and we can run third, fourth, fifth, realistically.”
Greg Biffle (sixth) and Kurt Busch (eighth) were the only other Chase drivers to make the top 10. Carl Edwards was 10th, Kyle Busch 11th, Matt Kenseth 14th, Jeff Gordon 15th, Tony Stewart 25th, Jeff Burton 27th and Kevin Harvick 33rd.
Hamlin would love for a strong finish to put some distance between him and the rest of the Chase field. He got an unexpected boost toward his first title when Bowyer was stripped of points, and he now leads Harvick by 45.
“My goal before the Chase started was to be within 80 points when I left Dover,” Hamlin said. “My goals have shifted. I hope I’m much closer to the front than that now.” The Associated Press
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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway - Race Line-Up
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