Tony Stewart ‘Earns’ Pocono 500 Pole

By Dino Oberto
Starting Lineup

Last week’s runner-up finish at Dover wasn’t a complete loss for Tony Stewart. He moved into the points lead and he couldn’t have picked a better time to do so as he earned the pole position for Sunday’s Pocono 500. Due to a daylong rain, all track activity was cancelled and per the NASCAR Rule book, the starting lineup was set by car owner points.

Stewart is a 2003 Pocono winner while with Joe Gibbs Racing but is still looking for his first point paying win since becoming a car owner this season.

“It’s good. Obviously this is a place that has a lot of history here. Obviously everybody is disappointed we didn’t get on the race track today but it worked out for myself and Jeff (Gordon),” said Stewart.

“It’s nice to be able to get a front-row starting spot because of rain but it’s not what the fans came to see. It’s not obviously what our TV partners what to see but its part of what happens.”

Jeff Gordon will start second. Dover winner and defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champ Jimmie Johnson will line up third with Kurt Busch and Stewart’s teammate, Ryan Newman, completing the front five.

“Certainly the front row starting position helps,” said Gordon. “There are unique challenges at this track that don’t exist at really any other track. They’re all unique to themselves and always makes for some great racing with the long front straightaway.

“This weekend with the double-file restart going into effect, I think its going toad another element to this event.”

Kyle Busch, Denney Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Jeff Burton round out the top 10.

Likewise the ARCA Series was also a wash and they too have set their field for today’s Pocono ARCA 200 via car owner points. Justin Lofton and Parker Kligerman will bring the field to the green for the 1:00 p.m. scheduled start.

Due to the rain Saturday’s schedule has been revised with an emphasis on ARCA. They will be on track from 9:00-9:50 am. Two rounds of Cup practice will then take place between 10:00- 10:45 am and 11:20am-12:20pm.

Starting Lineup

Most drivers didn’t seem to mind not having to qualify or get any track time in.

“I think we just lose practice time,” said Newman. “It’s just like testing. The more testing you get the strong get stronger and the guys that aren’t as strong they get stronger too. We’ll still have a competitive race. Maybe all 43 cars won’t be quite as fast and that doesn’t change the racing.”

Mark Martin, who has a record 19-top fives and 31-top tens at Pocono but remains winless in 44 starts here, felt much the same.

“I view it as less time on track the better. I feel like for our team, for us we usually hit the track running and the longer we run the more the competition has a chance to catch up,” said Martin.

“Like Ryan (Newman) said it doesn’t really impact the race or the competition because everyone is on the same footing.”

There are five past Pocono winners starting in the top ten led by Gordon with four, Hamlin, Johnson and Kurt Busch with two each and Stewart.

Last year’s winner Kasey Kahne will start 14th.

The non top-35 drivers who made the race include Sterling Marlin, Scott Speed, David Gilliland, Joe Nemechek, Patrick Carpentier, Dave Blaney, Regan Smith and Dexter Bean, who is making his first career Sprint Cup start.

The three drivers who failed to qualify were Derrike Cope, Mike Wallace and Tony Raines.

Pocono Raceway announced that any fans that were at the track on Friday will be given $10 off on a Saturday ticket by presenting yesterday’s stub at the ticket booth.

Starting Lineup