RICHMOND, Va. — Mark Martin’s final push for a spot in NASCAR’s Chase for the championship will start from the best spot in the field in tonight’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400.
Martin turned a lap of 126.808 mph in qualifying Friday night at Richmond International Raceway, edging Martin Truex Jr., whose lap came at 126.731 mph.
Unlike last week at Atlanta, when his desire to make the 10-race playoff that begins next week caused him all sorts of anxiety, Martin said he felt good before making his laps.
“I had the confidence in the car from practice and I knew what was riding on it and I felt like it was worth the risk to go out there and try to get it all,” Martin said. “I’ll rest easy until (tonight).”
Martin’s sixth pole of the season matched his career best, set 20 years ago in 1989, and was his fourth on the 0.75-mile oval. It also was the 47th pole position of his career. Martin will start the race 10th in driver points — just one ahead of 11th-place Greg Biffle, 49 ahead of Matt Kenseth and 69 ahead of Brian Vickers, who is 13th.
The top four spots in the playoffs are already clinched, and 11 drivers are vying for the last eight. Of the others with a chance to get in, Vickers will start sixth; Kyle Busch, 37 points behind, starts eighth; and David Reutimann 23rd.
Biffle has his work cut out for him after qualifying 24th.
“We’re gonna be in the back,” he said even before qualifying was finished.
Virginia native Denny Hamlin, three-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, all of whom have locked up spots in the playoff, will start in the top seven spots, while points leader Tony Stewart had a poor qualifying run and will start 29th.
Edwards wins Nationwide race.
Carl Edwards grabbed the lead from Kevin Harvick on pit road with 24 laps to go and won the Nationwide Series Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond.
The victory finished off a remarkable race for Edwards, who had to start at the back of the field after his team made adjustments to his Ford after the field was impounded.
The work and penalty were clearly worth it as Edwards steadily worked his way into contention, first challenging Denny Hamlin for the lead with 70 laps to go.
“I thought I’d lost the race,” Edwards said. “I got in deep behind Denny, he checked up a lot more than I thought he was going to, I hit him and I let off and (Harvick) got by me.”
Edwards faded afterward, but when a caution for debris on the track flew on the 226th lap, the leaders all headed for pit road, and Edwards beat Harvick back to the track.
“My guys are the ones that made this one happen, the guys in the pits,” Edwards said.
Harvick finished second, followed by Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Davis Reutimann.
The victory allowed Edwards to gain 20 points on Busch in the standings, but he still trails by 201 points with eight races remaining, and Busch would have to falter badly.
“These guys have picked up some grip somewhere,” Busch said. “I don’t think we’ve lost anything. These guys have just gotten better. We’ve got to do some homework.”
Busch crew chief leaving.
Kurt Busch said his crew chief will leave Penske Racing at the end of the season.
Busch said Pat Tryson told him this week he would move to a different team in 2010.
Tryson declined to discuss his plans, but he’s believed to be going to Michael Waltrip Racing to crew chief for Martin Truex Jr.
The Associated Press
