Qualifying: Johnson takes Pocono pole
Jimmie Johnson has been one of the form men of the NASCAR Winston Cup in the last month, and he grabbed his first pole position of the season on Friday for the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway
Johnson, who recently won the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, lapped the 2.5-mile triangular track in 52.741sec (170.645mph), just enough to block Ryan Newman from his fifth pole of the season. Newman had won the previous two poles, at Charlotte and Dover.
Johnson said: "Right now, the peak for the 48 team is coming around, and we're fighting for king of the hill right now."
Both Johnson (Chevrolet) and Newman (Dodge) ran later in the order, with Newman going out last among 45 entrants. Johnson knocked Bobby Labonte (Chevrolet) off the pole with his run. Johnson had to overcome a moment of doubt after an engine problem in practice, which held him to 12th-fastest. The team replaced a valve spring, then worked to replaced their driver's confidence.
"You don't know what weight to put on it," he said. "When I got back on the track, I noticed my shift points were all better than they'd been, so I knew we'd have a top-five run. It's easy to get bummed out and get down, to go into qualifying with the wrong mindset. The guys kept me pumped up."
The F1 nearly-man winding back the clock in NASCAR’s European cousin
A multiple F3000 race winner, Marc Goossens was on the precipice of making Formula 1 in the 1990s - but a lack of budget left him without a path to the promised land. Turning to an illustrious racing career in sportscars, Goossens left the endurance circuit to try his hand at racing stock cars - and now calls the NASCAR Euro Series home
Why a British prospect is trying to make it in NASCAR
There has never been a full-time British driver in the NASCAR Cup. But Alex Sedgwick, who is rising through the stock car ranks, wants that to change and could be a trailblazer for European talents to reach the top echelons of the NASCAR ladder
How Earnhardt’s death changed American motorsport
It's 20 years since legendary driver Dale Earnhardt Sr died at the Daytona 500, but the legacy of his crash continues today through the pioneering safety work done by NASCAR
The NASCAR subplots to keep an eye on in 2021
This weekend's Daytona 500 kickstarts a NASCAR Cup season that promises plenty of intrigue courtesy of new owners and a refreshed calendar. Here's what you need to know ahead of the new season
How a second-chance NASCAR ace is rebuilding his career
From a disgraced NASCAR exile, Kyle Larson has been given a shot at redemption by the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports squad. Replacing seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is no easy billing, but Larson has every intention of repaying the team's faith
Autosport's top 5 NASCAR machines
The American stock car scene is more famous for its close racing and occasional punch-ups, but there have been some fantastic machines too. As part of Autosport's 70th anniversary celebrations in 2020, we picked out five of its best
Why NASCAR's latest second-generation champion is just getting started
Chase Elliott's late charge to the 2020 NASCAR Cup title defied predictions that it would be a Kevin Harvick versus Denny Hamlin showdown. While the two veterans are showing no signs of slowing down, Elliott's triumph was a window into NASCAR's future
Why Johnson’s playoff failure won’t tarnish his legacy
The last season of a retiring NASCAR great has shown promise, and may have resulted in another playoff push without small issues outside his control. 2020 won't be the year Jimmie Johnson would have wanted, but it won't be what he is remembered for
