Stewart streaks to pole
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Tony Stewart was the fastest among 11 drivers who broke the track qualifying record for Martinsville Speedway, turning a lap at 98.083 mph Friday to win the pole position for Sunday’s Subway 500.
Stewart’s lap easily eclipsed the mark of 97.043 mph set by Ryan Newman in this race a year ago, and eased Virginia native Ricky Rudd to the outside of the first row.
Rudd, making what could be his final start at Martinsville, circled the .526-mile track at 97.992 mph.
The pole is the 10th of Stewart’s career and third this season. He’ll start the race in a tie with Jimmie Johnson atop the standings in the Chase for the championship with five races remaining. Johnson will start sixth after a lap at 97.548 mph.
Rusty Wallace, seventh in the points standings, will start third in search of his eighth career victory here. He leads active drivers at Martinsville.
Waltrip calls Kroger his last
Darrell Waltrip said he will make his final appearance in the Craftsman Truck Series when he starts 30th in today’s Kroger 200.
Rick Crawford won the pole at 95.966 mph; Waltrip’s speed was 93.442 mph.
“Just being out here and hanging out and working has been good,” Waltrip said. “I hate starting that far back, but if the tires don’t fall off, we’ll be OK.”
Waltrip, a three-time Nextel Cup champion, also is an announcer for Fox.
Kyle Busch will start outside Crawford’s Ford in a Chevrolet on the front row, with Tim Fedewa in a Dodge and Brandon Whitt in a Toyota starting on the second row.
Martin mocks Martinsville
Mark Martin has won twice in his career at Martinsville, the last time in the spring of 2000. But he never hides his disregard for the oldest, shortest (.526 miles) and tightest track in NASCAR’s premier Nextel Cup series.
“Martinsville is a place that I’ve always hated with a passion,” he said.
Nothing has changed his view. Arriving with the car with which he finished third here in the spring, Martin started going backward right away, all the way to the 35th qualifying position for Sunday.
“It’s been junk ever since we took it out on the race track,” said Martin, who is fifth in the championship chase. “The guys worked real hard on it in practice there and I thought we made some headway, but we probably just made it worse.”
Bourdais will have to start
Sebastien Bourdais will have to start Sunday’s Lexmark Indy 300 in Surfers Paradise, Australia, to win the 2005 Champ Car series title.
Oriol Servia won the race’s second qualifying session today, earning the point Bourdais, his Newman/Haas teammate, needed to wrap up the season title.
Bourdais, who won Friday’s opening session, will start on the front row with Servia.