Jeff Gordon speeds to Texas pole, extending streak to 17 consecutive years
Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon will start from the pole in Sunday's Dickies 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. // David Griffin, NASCAR Scene
FORT WORTH, Texas – Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon won his first pole of the season Friday at Texas Motor Speedway, continuing his streak of winning at least one pole every full season of his career.
The 2009 season is Gordon’s 17th full year in NASCAR, and he’s won at least one pole every year dating back to his rookie season of 1993.
"I'm really thrilled. It's a total team effort from the power under the hood and Hendrick engines to this race car and the total team effort here at the track today with great communication," said Gordon. "There's no doubt that our efforts here have improved because we've really focused on it.
Gordon turned a fast lap of 191.117 mph in the No. 24 Chevrolet in qualifying for Sunday’s Dickies 500 at Texas, edging fellow Chase For The Sprint Cup driver Kasey Kahne. Kahne went 190.975 in the No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge.
Chase drivers Kurt Busch (Penske Racing) and Tony Stewart (Stewart-Haas Racing) took the third and fourth positions, respectively. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch qualified fifth.
Chase drivers occupied the next three positions: Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards sixth, Hendrick’s Mark Martin seventh and Roush Fenway’s Greg Biffle eighth.
Hendrick’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. was ninth with Richard Childress Racing’s Clint Bowyer 10th.
Points leader Jimmie Johnson qualified 12th. Other Chase drivers were Brian Vickers (Red Bull Racing) 15th, Juan Pablo Montoya (Earnhardt Ganassi Racing) 20th, Denny Hamlin (JGR) 25th and Ryan Newman (SHR) 26th.
Brad Keselowski, making his first start for Penske Racing, qualified 35th.
David Gilliland (JGR) was the fastest of the drivers needing to make the race on speed, qualifying 21st.
Other drivers who made the race via qualifying were Mike Skinner (TRG Motorsports), Scott Speed (Red Bull), Regan Smth (Furniture Row Racing), Joe Nemechek (Nemco Motorsports), Bill Elliott (Wood Brothers Racing) and Michael McDowell (Tommy Baldwin Racing).
Failing to qualify were Tony Raines (Front Row Motorsports), Dave Blaney (Prism Motorsports), Max Papis (Germain Racing) and Mike Bliss (Phoenix Racing).
