Qualifying Report - Pocono

QUALIFYING RESULTS:
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 52.949 seconds, 169.975 miles per hour
2. Kurt Busch, Dodge, 52.984 seconds, 169.863 miles per hour
3. Kyle Busch., Chevrolet, 53.009 seconds, 169.783 miles per hour
4. Ryan Newman, Dodge, 53.023 seconds, 169. 738 miles per hour
5. Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 53.070 seconds, 169.587 miles per hour
26. Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 53.822 seconds, 167.218 miles per hour
42. Kyle Petty, Dodge, 54.692 seconds, 164.558 miles per hour

Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team might be starting higher if the rain had come minutes earlier. In any case, Labonte put in a solid qualifying run and will start 26 in Sunday’s 500-mile race. The team picked up tremendously from practice. The rain was actually falling in the middle of Labonte’s qualifying run, but it did not affect the team’s lap.

“It was starting to get wet,” said Labonte. “The guys did a good job picking up some speed after practice. We weren’t that good, but we are better now. It puts us in the middle and we’ll try to move forward from here.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. let the rain fall in the middle of Friday’s qualifying session at the 2.5-mile Pocono (Penn.) Raceway. He then went onto the track to win his first pole since 2002. It was immediately after Bobby Labonte qualified when the rain started to fall. Track officials were able to dry the track and nearly a dozen cars were able to qualify on cool track conditions. Earnhardt Jr. was one of those cars and made the best out of it. He took the pole over the Busch brothers. Although a Chevrolet won the pole, Dodge put three cars in the top five.

Kyle Petty and the #45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge team didn’t have the qualifying time they wanted, but the lap didn’t feel that bad for Petty. Petty, however, was one of the earlier qualifiers on Sunday when track conditions were not optimal. Petty will start 42 on Sunday.

“We didn’t get into the Tunnel Turn like we wanted,” said Petty. “The rest didn’t feel that bad. There aren’t many races longer than Pocono. We’ll use that time to move up.”

Friday’s qualifying session was televised live nationally by ESPN2 and broadcast on MRN Radio. Sunday’s race will be televised live on ESPN and broadcast live on MRN Radio. The race is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. (ET).