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Jimmie Johnson was among eight drivers who participated in a tire test at Dover International Speedway on Aug. 4-5.
This afternoon, Johnson used his experience on the new compound to earn the pole for Sunday’s AAA 400 Sprint Cup race at the Monster Mile.
Johnson piloted his Chevrolet to an average speed of 157.356 mph (22.88 seconds). The News Journal
Johnson, who was the 28th driver to make a qualifying attempt, has four wins at Dover, including a victory in the most recent race in May.
“A pole will make the start of the weekend much better and give us a lot of direction and momentum,” Johnson said. “It does carry you, and there is an aspect of momentum. But at the same time, you’ve got to go out and perform.”
Johnson edged Juan Montoya (156.699 mph), whose No. 42 Chevrolet was the first car on the track.
“When Jimmie ran those laps in practice, I knew unless he did a huge mistake, we’re not going to get that pole,” Montoya said. “There was no way I was going to get any more out of the car. I didn’t have anything else.” NASCAR
Currently 35 points behind leader Mark Martin, Johnson is looking to capture his record fourth consecutive Cup championship this year.
“There’s so much time to be gained on pit road, and the fact that you only have to go a few short feet to cross the camera line [pit road exit line] makes all the difference in the world,” he said.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: AAA 400 at Dover - Race Line-Up
Ryan Newman qualified third, and Greg Biffle was fourth.
“We really weren’t any good at all from when we unloaded today,” Newman said. “It was a good run for us.”
The top-four finishers in qualifying are Chase contenders.
David Reutimann, the pole winner here earlier this year, completed the top- five. Kansas City Star
