| |  | | CIA Stock Photo | Truex said he knew last week's car was up to the challenge: 'It's my favorite car, and for some reason, we haven't been able to duplicate it.' | | | | IN DUE TIME | Truex edges out Gordon and JPM for pole | He wins in same car that was repaired after last week's late-race wreck |
| | By Reid Spencer / Sporting News Wire Service FORT WORTH, Texas -- After 78 NASCAR Nextel Cup starts -- and three second-place starts this year -- Martin Truex Jr.
won the pole for Sunday's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
With a lap at 193.105 mph (27.964 seconds) in Friday's qualifying session, Truex edged Jeff Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya for the top starting spot. Gordon covered the 1.5-mile distance in 28.063 seconds
(192.424 mph) to nip Montoya (192.417 mph) for the outside front-row position by .001 seconds.
Kevin Harvick (192.239 mph) will start fourth on Sunday, followed by AJ Allmendinger, who posted a time identical to Harvick's but lost the fourth spot on a tiebreaker based on position in the points standings.
Allmendinger's previous best qualifying effort was 11th at Dover in September.
Truex won the pole in a car hastily -- but effectively -- repaired after last Sunday's late-race wreck at Atlanta.
"I grilled out for the guys after the race last weekend in the coach lot," Truex said, "and they were about an hour-and-a-half late to dinner, because they were stripping it down so when it got back to the shop Sunday night, it was stripped and ready for the front clip to be cut off -- to get ready for all that work on Monday morning.
"They put a lot of hours into it. Not only did they get it done on time, they did a great job on it. . . It's my favorite car, and for some reason, we haven't been able to duplicate it."
Gordon was disappointed at not winning the pole, but a front-row starting spot and the promise of a favorable pit selection were significant consolation for the Cup points leader.
"The last time we were here (in April), we started on the pole, and I feel like that contributed to our performance that day (Gordon finished
fourth) of being strong and putting us in a position to win that race. A front-row start is great. I think that gives you more of an opportunity to lead a lap and get those five bonus points."
Based on practice earlier in the day, Montoya didn't expect to challenge for the pole, but the Cup rookie narrowly missed claiming his fourth front-row start of the year, after starting second for races at Indianapolis in July, at Bristol in August, and at Dover in September.
"To be honest, we did only two runs this morning in race trim, and we really sucked," Montoya said. "We were actually in the way of everybody.
So I was pleased to have this performance in qualifying. I think it's encouraging, and I think, from here, we can actually try to make some changes and get a little better."
Of the other drivers competing in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup, Kurt Busch will start sixth, Denny Hamlin seventh, Jimmie Johnson (who trails Gordon by nine points) eighth, Tony Stewart 15th, Kyle Busch 17th, Matt Kenseth 18th, Carl Edwards 21st, Jeff Burton 27th and Clint Bowyer 29th.
Ward Burton, John Andretti, Michael Waltrip, Burney Lamar and Kevin Lepage failed to make the field.
| | Posted November 02, 2007 , 9:40 pm EST
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