Cup qualifying: Jeff Gordon goes to the top; Kyle Petty goes home
By SceneDaily Staff
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Chris Trotman / Getty Images
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – A very familiar name won the pole for Sunday’s Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway. But another famous name won’t even be in the race.
Jeff Gordon won his 65th career pole on Friday afternoon, posting a speed of 96.288 mph to lead the Sprint Cup field to the start for the seventh time in his storied career at NASCAR’s oldest track.
A seven-time Martinsville winner, Gordon topped the effort of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin (95.757 mph), who will start on the front row for the second consecutive year.
Aric Almirola (95.733 mph), the young Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver whose stellar top-10 effort surprised many at Bristol, qualified third, followed by Roush Fenway Racing’s David Ragan and Jamie McMurray – who was forced to qualify on speed after falling out of the top 35 at Bristol.
But while McMurray came through, Kyle Petty did not.
The Petty Enterprises driver wheel-hopped on his first qualifying lap and couldn’t recover, failing to qualify for a race for the first time since 2004. Petty missed seven races last season due to broadcasting races for TNT and an injury.
On Friday, Petty actually recorded an identical time as Chip Ganassi Racing’s Dario Franchitti, who was the last go-or-go-home driver to make the race. But since Franchitti was higher in owner points, he won the tiebreaker and made the field.
Others missing the race included Front Row Motorsports’ John Andretti, Furniture Row Racing’s Joe Nemechek and EM Motorsports’ Tony Raines.
Those who did qualify on time were McMurray, BAM Racing’s Ken Schrader, Wood Brothers Racing’s Bill Elliott, Bill Davis Racing’s Dave Blaney, Red Bull Racing’s Mike Skinner, Dale Earnhardt Inc. rookie Regan Smith and Gillett Evernham Motorsports rookie Patrick Carpentier, along with Franchitti.
The rest of the top 10 included GEM’s Kasey Kahne, Schrader, Gibbs’ Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart, along with Hendrick’s Jimmie Johnson, who has won three straight races at Martinsville.
