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Carl Edwards edged Martin Truex Jr. Friday to capture the pole for Sunday’s Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.
It was the third pole of Edwards’ career and his first of the season. He turned in a lap that was .003 of a second faster than that of Truex.
Jeff Gordon and J.J. Yeley will start on the second row.
The Phoenix race will be the next-to-last one of the NASCAR Nextel Cup season.
Jimmie Johnson has won the last three races to take a 30-point lead over Gordon in the race for the 2007 championship. UPI.com
Carl Edwards won his first Nextel Cup pole in nearly two years, topping the chart Friday at Phoenix International Raceway on qualifying for the Checker Auto Parts 500.
Edwards, in Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 99 Ford, turned a lap of 132.773 mph around Phoenix’s 1-mile track to claim his first pole since November 2005 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Edwards went out late in Friday’s session and knocked Martin Truex Jr. (Dale Earnhardt Inc. ) off the pole. Truex went 132.758 mph in the No. 1 Chevrolet.
Scene Daily.com
Jeff Gordon got a leg up on teammate Jimmie Johnson for the start of Sunday’s Checker Auto Parts 500 and Carl Edwards took another step toward mending his reputation by winning the pole yesterday.
Newcomer Patrick Carpentier, the French-Canadian from Montreal, surprised even himself with a strong qualifying run for his first NASCAR oval track race.
Sam Hornish Jr. finally joined Juan Pablo Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve in making the field, making this next-to-the-last race of the season the first NASCAR race since 1969 to boast three Indy 500 winners. Mike Mulhern, Journalnow.com
Jeff Gordon took the first step toward chiseling away at Jimmie Johnson’s 30-point lead in the Nextel Cup Chase for the Championship.
Even though they’ll be within shouting distance of each other when they line up for Sunday’s Checker Auto Parts 500, starting on the inside of Row 2 - next to Phoenix native JJ Yeley - could play a pivotal role for Gordon at Phoenix International Raceway.
“I just got a little free there qualifying on the second lap, so we just weren’t able to put down the lap we were hoping for, but all in all a good day, ” said Gordon, who qualified third behind Carl Edwards and Martin Truex Jr.
“Track position, we found the last time qualifying on the pole, was important; also, the pit you get on pit road is important. I am happy that we are third. I would rather have been first, but I am really glad we aren’t 10th or 15th or further on back. Jim Gintonio, AzCentral.com
