Junior Torches Atlanta Track

Junior torches track, hopes for Sunday's best

From ThatsRacin.com and wire reports

Friday, Mar. 05, 2010

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start from the pole for the first time in nearly two years. He's hoping it will lead to Victory Lane.

Earnhardt claimed the pole Friday night for the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a blistering speed of 192.761 mph. It will be the first time Junior has taken green at the head of a Cup field since the April 2008 race at Texas.

"It's good to be on the pole and I'm real proud of it," Earnhardt said. "Getting a pole anywhere is good for our team. We're so hungry to do well on Sunday."

Earnhardt's lap was the fastest on record for the Cup car used since 2007. He credited Goodyear tire testing and the decision to use a compound this weekend that produced more grip on the left sides.

Though excited about his first pole in 68 races, Earnhardt was much more focused on gaining traction in a career that has skidded surprisingly.

Earnhardt is coming off a miserable season in which he failed to win a race, cracked the top 10 only five times, led but 146 laps in 36 races and finished 25th in the standings. All of that despite racing for Hendrick Motorsports, the best team in the business.

After a major shake-up within his group, Earnhardt is hoping to be a Chase contender in 2010. He hasn't won a race since June 15, 2008, at Michigan.

"You've just got to try to be confident," he said. "We got beat down last year. We figured we'd have a chance to start new this year.

"It's a better race team. We're working well together. It's a really, really good group of guys and I just hope we have success. They deserve it."

Mark Martin was the pole-winnter last year in the spring event at Atlanta with a speed of 187.045. He went much faster this time (191.814), but it was only good enough for fourth.

Kyle Busch (192.280) will start from the outside of the front row, edging Juan Pablo Montoya (192.106). Jeff Gordon (191.774) was fifth, giving Hendrick Motorsports three of the top five spots.

The fourth Hendrick driver, Jimmie Johnson -- the one with four straight Cup titles -- managed only the 16th-best speed (190.640) on the 1.54-mile tri-oval.

Casey Mears again failed to qualify and has not made a race this season.

Also failing to crack the 43-car field were Aric Almirola and Terry Cook.

It's actually illegal in BAMA to say anything negative about Jr..He has a huge fanbase here as did his daddy..But I'm a Tony Stewart fan...and have been since all the BAMA gang died or retired.He is more like the old school drivers..I've been to the Atlanta race..it's a nice track..way up on a hill..But I usually always go to Dega..cause it's like an hour from my house..unless it's raceday...then it's 5 hours!

This kinda shows you how it is if you sit in Lincoln Tower at Dega..All these folks who hate nascar and have never been to a race live..just don't understand..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvIroSoBBAU