RICHMOND, Virginia - Rookie Brian Vickers capped an
eventful Friday at Richmond International Raceway by winning his
first career pole at the NASCAR Nextel Cup series Auto Club
500.
Twenty-nine drivers bettered Ward Burton's 2002 qualifying
record of 127.389 miles per hour at the slick 3/4-mile track.
But Vickers had the top lap of 129.983 mph in a Chevrolet Monte
Carlo.
Vickers' best previous qualifying effort in 15 starts was
second.
"We knew we had to get a good, smooth, solid lap," Vickers said.
"Everyone's said be patient, we've been close so many times.
It was just a matter of time before we had a pole, but we were
getting pretty anxious to get one."
The heat on the recently paved track, coupled with the soft
tires being used this season, combined to make things
ultra-quick.
"The track was really slick," Vickers said. "It's tough, this
place, to find the edge. It's so easy to underdraft and be able
to find that edge."
Seeking his fourth pole of the year, Ryan Newman settled for a
spot on the front row Saturday night. He brought his Dodge
Intrepid out first and his lap of 129.970 mph nearly stood up.
Newman won this race last year, when he led the series with
eight victories, but he is seeking his first this season.
"Going out first certainly wasn't an advantage," he said. "The
track really lost its grip. The sun cooked the oil out of it
for an hour or an hour and a half. It was a good effort."
Jeff Green will start third in a Dodge after his second top-five
qualifying effort this year.
Nextel Cup points leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified his
Chevrolet fourth spot, ahead of the Monte Carlo of Jimmie
Johnson. Earnhardt leads the series with nine top-10 starts and
is 25 points ahead of Johnson in the standings.
"I was just trying to be real cautious with the track being as
slick as it is," Earnhardt said. "The car was a little bit
tight in the middle of each corner, and that's kind of how it
was in practice."
Robby Gordon, Rusty Wallace, Joe Nemechek, Casey Mears and Greg
Biffle filled out the top-10 qualifiers.
Jeff Gordon will start the bid for his third straight win from
the 13th spot on the grid. Third in the standings, he is
seeking the series' longest winning streak since he recorded
four consecutive victories in 1998.
"We just had an average day," Jeff Gordon said. "It was a nice
consistent lap, but it wasn't our best. We're going to keep
working on it until we get that baby up front."
Ricky Craven and rookie Kasey Kahne were forced to use their
backup cars after hitting the wall and qualified 21st and 39th,
respectively.