No Shock, Kurt Busch takes Martinsville pole
Greg Engle
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- This week, Kurt Busch's qualifying time was not taken away.
Busch won the pole for Sunday's Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Going out 34th of 50 drivers Friday, Busch lapped the .526-mile track in 19.408 seconds (97.568 mph).
"It was great lap," Busch said. "Totally unexpected for me, but this team has always qualified well at this track with Rusty (Wallace) behind the wheel."
During qualifying at Lowe's Motor Speedway last week, Busch qualified second but had his time disallowed after NASCAR found a problem with the right rear shock on the No. 2 Dodge. NASCAR confiscated the shock, and the Penske Racing team was forced to start Saturday's race at the rear of the field.
This week, NASCAR suspended Busch's crew chief, Roy McCauley, until Nov. 1 because of the incident. NASCAR also docked Busch 50 driver championship points, and car owner Roger Penske was penalized 50 owner championship points.
Busch's run was his first career Martinsville pole, and the sixth of his 2006 season.
"This is his favorite track," Busch said of McCauley. "This is for him."
Jeff Gordon, who went out 18th and held the top spot until Busch's run, starts on the outside front row. Gordon scraped the wall on the second of his two qualifying laps.
"We're having fun being here and trying to make the most of it," said Gordon, currently 10th in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup. "I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't hit the wall, but I don't think it was going to be better anyway."
Rookie and Virginia native Denny Hamlin (sixth in points) will start third in his home state; Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart rounded out the top five.
"I'm pretty happy with that," Hamlin said. "I felt like I hit the lap pretty good. I didn't overdrive like I did here in the spring."
more Martinsville qualifying results
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- This week, Kurt Busch's qualifying time was not taken away.
Busch won the pole for Sunday's Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Going out 34th of 50 drivers Friday, Busch lapped the .526-mile track in 19.408 seconds (97.568 mph).
"It was great lap," Busch said. "Totally unexpected for me, but this team has always qualified well at this track with Rusty (Wallace) behind the wheel."
During qualifying at Lowe's Motor Speedway last week, Busch qualified second but had his time disallowed after NASCAR found a problem with the right rear shock on the No. 2 Dodge. NASCAR confiscated the shock, and the Penske Racing team was forced to start Saturday's race at the rear of the field.
This week, NASCAR suspended Busch's crew chief, Roy McCauley, until Nov. 1 because of the incident. NASCAR also docked Busch 50 driver championship points, and car owner Roger Penske was penalized 50 owner championship points.
Busch's run was his first career Martinsville pole, and the sixth of his 2006 season.
"This is his favorite track," Busch said of McCauley. "This is for him."
Jeff Gordon, who went out 18th and held the top spot until Busch's run, starts on the outside front row. Gordon scraped the wall on the second of his two qualifying laps.
"We're having fun being here and trying to make the most of it," said Gordon, currently 10th in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup. "I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't hit the wall, but I don't think it was going to be better anyway."
Rookie and Virginia native Denny Hamlin (sixth in points) will start third in his home state; Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart rounded out the top five.
"I'm pretty happy with that," Hamlin said. "I felt like I hit the lap pretty good. I didn't overdrive like I did here in the spring."
more Martinsville qualifying results
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