Newman takes pole as Johnson stumbles

MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Hold everything.

Jimmie Johnson did not win the pole for Sunday's Tums 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Ryan Newman made sure of that.

Johnson didn't lead a lap Friday in a practice session. In fact, he didn't qualify in the Top 10 (he will start 15th).

Johnson was actually - dare we say it - a little off his game.

Even so, his record here - five wins in the last six races - and run in the Chase for the Sprint Cup so far (three wins in five races) make Friday's results appear less important.

"Really, the biggest downer for me was I ran two (qualifying) laps that I thought were good enough for the pole and then I heard the time afterwards and I said, 'What?' " Johnson said. ""To feel like everything was right, the car felt right and not be any faster - wow.

"I sat and thought about it. I know how good the car is. There are going to be tests throughout the championship and how we react and how we handle situations - and this is one of them.

"We didn't do the best job today but we'll have to do a really good job on Sunday to make up for it."

With five races remaining in the Chase, Johnson holds a 90-point lead over Mark Martin and 135 over Jeff Gordon, both his teammates at Hendrick Motorsports.

Both Gordon (second) and Martin (fourth) will start ahead of Johnson.

"Any time we can put a gap between us and in pit selection, it's good for us," said Gordon, who has seven career wins at Martinsville and has finished in the top-five in 21 of his 33 races at the track.

"I feel like we have momentum right now and we want to keep pushing forward with that momentum and continue to put good, solid finishes in and hopefully start putting some wins together.

"This is a track where we can do that."

It was Newman who spoiled the party Friday, knocking Gordon from the pole with a lap at 96.795 mph - 56/1000ths of a second faster than Gordon.

"It's the place to be and it's the place to finish and that's what we want," said Newman, who made the Chase but is still looking for his first win of the season.

The pole is Newman's second of the season and 45th of his career. He is now 11th all-time and tied with Buck Baker.

"I think I got everything out of it I could have," Newman said of his qualifying lap. "I tried to get more on the second lap, but it cost me.

"After so many big tracks and then you come to a short track, it's east to overdrive it here. It has been a real pleasure to drive all day."

Martin Truex Jr. qualified third and David Reutimann was fifth. Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified 12th, only the second time he has started better than 15th in 12 races.

Josh Wise was the only driver who failed to make the 43-car field.