KIDWCKED
02-21-2010, 03:05 PM
c\p from espn
Associated Press
FONTANA, Calif. -- Jamie McMurray has gone from winning the Daytona 500 to sitting on the pole in California.
After a whirlwind week of appearances and interviews as the champion of NASCAR's season opener and biggest race, McMurray got back into the cockpit of his No. 1 Chevrolet on Friday and qualified first with a lap of 183.744 mph at the two-mile superspeedway.
Not even a week after winning the Daytona 500, Jamie McMurray sat on top of the pole in California.
"I am so amazed at the week I've had, and then to come here to be able to be on the pole," McMurray said. "I really can't believe it. It's just pretty awesome."
McMurray captured his fourth career pole, his first at California, and will be joined on the front row by Earnhardt Ganassi teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, who ran a lap of 183.477 mph to qualify second.
Clint Bowyer qualified third in another Chevy, which has an engine also built by Earnhardt-Childress Racing, like the ones in McMurray and Montoya's cars.
Kasey Kahne was fourth in his No. 9 Ford, followed by Dave Blaney in a Toyota. The highest-qualifying Dodge was Sam Hornish Jr. in eighth.
Matt Kenseth, who won at California the last two February's, qualified 20th. Kenseth hasn't won a race since opening last season with victories at Daytona and California and this week changed crew chiefs.
Roush Fenway drivers have won the past five February races at California, with Kenseth winning three of the past four. Greg Biffle won in 2005 and Carl Edwards went to victory lane three years ago. Edwards qualified 31st, five spots ahead of Biffle.
When McMurray got to the track Friday morning, he described it as "just a different feeling that I've ever had in the garage area."
Associated Press
FONTANA, Calif. -- Jamie McMurray has gone from winning the Daytona 500 to sitting on the pole in California.
After a whirlwind week of appearances and interviews as the champion of NASCAR's season opener and biggest race, McMurray got back into the cockpit of his No. 1 Chevrolet on Friday and qualified first with a lap of 183.744 mph at the two-mile superspeedway.
Not even a week after winning the Daytona 500, Jamie McMurray sat on top of the pole in California.
"I am so amazed at the week I've had, and then to come here to be able to be on the pole," McMurray said. "I really can't believe it. It's just pretty awesome."
McMurray captured his fourth career pole, his first at California, and will be joined on the front row by Earnhardt Ganassi teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, who ran a lap of 183.477 mph to qualify second.
Clint Bowyer qualified third in another Chevy, which has an engine also built by Earnhardt-Childress Racing, like the ones in McMurray and Montoya's cars.
Kasey Kahne was fourth in his No. 9 Ford, followed by Dave Blaney in a Toyota. The highest-qualifying Dodge was Sam Hornish Jr. in eighth.
Matt Kenseth, who won at California the last two February's, qualified 20th. Kenseth hasn't won a race since opening last season with victories at Daytona and California and this week changed crew chiefs.
Roush Fenway drivers have won the past five February races at California, with Kenseth winning three of the past four. Greg Biffle won in 2005 and Carl Edwards went to victory lane three years ago. Edwards qualified 31st, five spots ahead of Biffle.
When McMurray got to the track Friday morning, he described it as "just a different feeling that I've ever had in the garage area."