Four-time Nextel Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon grabbed the pole for Sunday’s Food City 500 Nextel Cup race at the famed Bristol Motor Speedway. The No.24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet circled the 0.533-mile, high-banked short track in 15.295 seconds (125.453 m.p.h.).

The pole victory was Gordon’s second of the season and 58th of his Nextel Cup career. He also won the pole at the California Speedway in February. Gordon’s win now puts him in a tie for fifth all-time with Bobby Allison. Richard Petty holds the all-time mark with 126 pole victories.

“I love this short track,” said the pole winner. “I’ll admit when we were testing I didn’t think we would ever run these kinds of speeds. I have to thank all the guys on the Dupont Chevrolet team.”

The Food City 500 is the first-ever event using NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow. The COT was developed my NASCAR with three purposes in mind: safety, cost- effectiveness and more side-by-side racing.

“The Car of Tomorrow represents one of the sport’s most significant innovations and we feel everyone involved in NASCAR will experience the benefits,” said NASCAR President Mike Helton.

Beside this week in Tennessee, the COT will be used at Phoenix, Martinsville, Richmond, Dover, Darlington, the fall event at Talladega, the two road courses and New Hampshire this season. More races will be added in 2008 and the full schedule will use the Car of Tomorrow in 2009.

Starting alongside Gordon will be Kasey Kahne who posted a second-best time of 15.312 seconds.

Elliott Sadler (15.328) and Tony Stewart (15.336) will make up row two.

Jimmie Johnson, winner of the last two races, will start in row three after setting the sixth-quickest time.

Other notable drivers and their starting positions: Dave Blaney (7th), Denny Hamlin (10th), Greg Biffle (11th), Kyle Busch (20th), Ryan Newman (22nd), Jeff Burton (29th) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (31st).

For the fourth-straight race, Michael Waltrip will not compete. Also not making the event was Joe Nemechek. Points leader Mark Martin, as promised, did not attempt to qualify. His seat in the No.01 Ginn Chevrolet was taken by Regan Smith who qualified a solid 12th.

Another interesting note is driver Kurt Busch, winner of four of the last five Bristol spring races, who will start next-to-last in the 43-car field.

source: miamiherald.com

STARTING LINEUP:

Pos, No, Driver, Make, Time, Gap, To 1st, Speed, Gap, To 1st

1. 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 15.295 125.453
2. 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge 15.312 0.017 0.017 125.313 0.140 0.140
3. 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge 15.328 0.016 0.033 125.183 0.130 0.270
4. 20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 15.336 0.008 0.041 125.117 0.066 0.336
5. 26 Jamie McMurray Ford 15.362 0.026 0.067 124.906 0.211 0.547
6. 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 15.372 0.010 0.077 124.824 0.082 0.629
7. 22 Dave Blaney Toyota 15.379 0.007 0.084 124.768 0.056 0.685
8. 10 Scott Riggs Dodge 15.380 0.001 0.085 124.759 0.009 0.694
9. 66 Jeff Green Chevrolet 15.397 0.017 0.102 124.622 0.137 0.831
10. 11 Denny Hamlin Chevrolet 15.403 0.006 0.108 124.573 0.049 0.880
11. 16 Greg Biffle Ford 15.404 0.001 0.109 124.565 0.008 0.888
12. 01 Regan Smith Chevrolet 15.411 0.007 0.116 124.508 0.057 0.945
13. 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet 15.433 0.022 0.138 124.331 0.177 1.122
14. 4 Ward Burton Chevrolet 15.443 0.010 0.148 124.251 0.080 1.202
15. 21 Ken Schrader Ford 15.444 0.001 0.149 124.242 0.009 1.211
16. 25 Casey Mears Chevrolet 15.449 0.005 0.154 124.202 0.040 1.251
17. 96 Tony Raines Chevrolet 15.459 0.010 0.164 124.122 0.080 1.331
18. 07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 15.475 0.016 0.180 123.993 0.129 1.460
19. 49 Mike Bliss Dodge 15.478 0.003 0.183 123.969 0.024 1.484
20. 5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet 15.485 0.007 0.190 123.913 0.056 1.540
21. 14 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet 15.488 0.003 0.193 123.890 0.023 1.563
22. 12 Ryan Newman Dodge 15.503 0.015 0.208 123.770 0.120 1.683
23. 36 Jeremy Mayfield Toyota 15.509 0.006 0.214 123.722 0.048 1.731
24. 88 Ricky Rudd Ford 15.510 0.001 0.215 123.714 0.008 1.739
25. 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 15.512 0.002 0.217 123.698 0.016 1.755
26. 45 Kyle Petty Dodge 15.516 0.004 0.221 123.666 0.032 1.787
27. 78 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet 15.516 0.000 0.221 123.666 0.000 1.787
28. 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge 15.527 0.011 0.232 123.578 0.088 1.875
29. 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 15.528 0.001 0.233 123.570 0.008 1.883
30. 44 Dale Jarrett Toyota 15.559 0.031 0.264 123.324 0.246 2.129
31. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 15.566 0.007 0.271 123.269 0.055 2.184
32. 99 Carl Edwards Ford 15.568 0.002 0.273 123.253 0.016 2.200
33. 40 David Stremme Dodge 15.571 0.003 0.276 123.229 0.024 2.224
34. 7 Robby Gordon Ford 15.587 0.016 0.292 123.103 0.126 2.350
35. 38 David Gilliland Ford 15.608 0.021 0.313 122.937 0.166 2.516
36. 42 Juan Montoya* Dodge 15.623 0.015 0.328 122.819 0.118 2.634
37. 18 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet 15.651 0.028 0.356 122.599 0.220 2.854
38. 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 15.661 0.010 0.366 122.521 0.078 2.932
39. 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge 15.666 0.005 0.371 122.482 0.039 2.971
40. 29 Kevin Harvick+ Chevrolet 15.679 0.013 0.384 122.380 0.102 3.073
41. 6 David Ragan+* Ford 15.790 0.111 0.495 121.520 0.860 3.933
42. 2 Kurt Busch+ Dodge 16.071 0.281 0.776 119.395 2.125 6.058
43. 84 A.J. Allmendinger* Toyota 15.603

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