RPM Fords Take Front Row for Coke 600
5/24/12, 10:55 PM
#1
RPM Fords Take Front Row for Coke 600
http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/55195224?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Sports|p
CONCORD, N.C. (USA TODAY) — Thursday's Coca-Cola 600 qualifying session at Charlotte Motor Speedway was fit for "The King."
The Fords of Aric Almirola and Marcos Ambrose swept the front row for Richard Petty Motorsports at the 1.5-mile oval for Sunday's race, which is the longest of the year in NASCAR's premier series.
With his first career pole in the Sprint Cup Series, Almirola became the first No. 1 qualifier for RPM since Elliott Sadler at Texas Motor Speedway in November 2010, and it's the first front-row sweep since Kansas Speedway in October 2010 for the team owned by NASCAR.
"It makes me feel really good our guys finally got a little recognition," seven-time champion Richard Petty said. "It shows what these guys have been doing is right, just the circumstances haven't been right. It's a confidence builder. Even though it's just qualifying, it's still a big deal for us. We got bragging rights for a couple of days."
Almirola delivered the 122nd career pole for the No. 43, which was qualified first 114 times by Petty. "Is that all?" joked the Hall of Famer who has a record 200 victories.
Almirola credited his performance to crew chief Mike Ford, who is calling his third points race for the team.
"It's a huge honor just to see it in victory lane (for the pole celebration)," Almirola said. "I'm driving probably the most iconic car in history of the sport. It's just qualifying, but that's a start."
RPM has won in recent seasons (including at Watkins Glen last season with Ambrose's No. 9 Fusion), but the No. 43 hasn't won since April 1999 at Martinsville Speedway with John Andretti.
"It don't feel as if it's been that long," Petty said.
Jimmie Johnson qualified third, followed by Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer. After capturing the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte, Johnson was driving a new No. 48 Chevrolet because his team couldn't turn around Saturday's winner in time following a NASCAR inspection.
The five-time champion seemed just as confident about winning Sunday's race for the fourth time.
"I'm real proud of where our equipment is going," Johnson said. "I've been able to race better than where we qualify."
Danica Patrick's No. 10 Chevrolet will line up 40th in her third Sprint Cup start after turning the fifth-slowest lap in qualifying.
CONCORD, N.C. (USA TODAY) — Thursday's Coca-Cola 600 qualifying session at Charlotte Motor Speedway was fit for "The King."
The Fords of Aric Almirola and Marcos Ambrose swept the front row for Richard Petty Motorsports at the 1.5-mile oval for Sunday's race, which is the longest of the year in NASCAR's premier series.
With his first career pole in the Sprint Cup Series, Almirola became the first No. 1 qualifier for RPM since Elliott Sadler at Texas Motor Speedway in November 2010, and it's the first front-row sweep since Kansas Speedway in October 2010 for the team owned by NASCAR.
"It makes me feel really good our guys finally got a little recognition," seven-time champion Richard Petty said. "It shows what these guys have been doing is right, just the circumstances haven't been right. It's a confidence builder. Even though it's just qualifying, it's still a big deal for us. We got bragging rights for a couple of days."
Almirola delivered the 122nd career pole for the No. 43, which was qualified first 114 times by Petty. "Is that all?" joked the Hall of Famer who has a record 200 victories.
Almirola credited his performance to crew chief Mike Ford, who is calling his third points race for the team.
"It's a huge honor just to see it in victory lane (for the pole celebration)," Almirola said. "I'm driving probably the most iconic car in history of the sport. It's just qualifying, but that's a start."
RPM has won in recent seasons (including at Watkins Glen last season with Ambrose's No. 9 Fusion), but the No. 43 hasn't won since April 1999 at Martinsville Speedway with John Andretti.
"It don't feel as if it's been that long," Petty said.
Jimmie Johnson qualified third, followed by Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer. After capturing the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte, Johnson was driving a new No. 48 Chevrolet because his team couldn't turn around Saturday's winner in time following a NASCAR inspection.
The five-time champion seemed just as confident about winning Sunday's race for the fourth time.
"I'm real proud of where our equipment is going," Johnson said. "I've been able to race better than where we qualify."
Danica Patrick's No. 10 Chevrolet will line up 40th in her third Sprint Cup start after turning the fifth-slowest lap in qualifying.
5/27/12, 09:01 PM
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Too bad they didn't do so well racing! But who won at Lowes Motor Speedway? One of Hendricks cars! SURPRISE,SURPRISE!! Did I waste 3 plus hours watching the race? NO! That's what the internet is for! I was out with my friends racing go-karts around an old abandon school parking lot having a blast! And that's my plan from now on; unless the weather is bad, Daryl, Michael and all the other nascar announcers that think it's cool to ignor or downplay the Ford teams can go take a hike!! I hope some TV rating outfit calls me and asks me if I watch the nascar races on Sunday! I'll tell them, " NO! I can't stand prejudice narrow-minded rednecks any more"!
5/28/12, 06:10 AM
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I question if the Ford teams get the same set of rules to build a car as chevy guys do. The body might be the same but what about everything else? Really there's no reason other than human error that might cause that! Remember when Mark Martin was winning the points race a few years ago, and he got penalized for his coil springs " not having enough 'coils from top to bottom'"? LAME! Probably a lot or maybe at least a few others were running those same springs in the chevy camp! Otherwise, why did nascar know the difference?!
Last edited by red pony; 5/28/12 at 06:16 AM.
5/28/12, 04:01 PM
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yep, to lead what 204+ laps and not win or atleast be right on his tail driving the wheels off for the win..wtf?? and what the heck was with all the loose wheels, it even got Carl. We are still 1-2 in the point but we need to keep up with the track and more so at the mile and a halfs, there are plenty of them and they are the pia ones for long runs.
6/16/12, 09:14 PM
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BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Australian Marcos Ambrose has a new distinction -- he's the fastest thing in a Sprint Cup car in 25 years
With a record-setting run Saturday at Michigan International Speedway, Ambrose won the pole for Sunday's Quicken Loans 400, leading 18 other drivers who broke the 200-mph barrier and 38 others who topped Ryan Newman's previous track record of 194.232 mph, set in 2005.
http://www.nascar.com/news/120616/am...ole/index.html
With a record-setting run Saturday at Michigan International Speedway, Ambrose won the pole for Sunday's Quicken Loans 400, leading 18 other drivers who broke the 200-mph barrier and 38 others who topped Ryan Newman's previous track record of 194.232 mph, set in 2005.
http://www.nascar.com/news/120616/am...ole/index.html
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