NASCAR Notebook: Johnson ?qualified? to win

 

Four-time and defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has cameras follow his every move in the garage during practice Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla. for Sunday's Ford 400. Johnson qualified sixth, well ahead of Kevin Harvick (28th) and Denny Hamlin (37th). (Photo: Getty Images)

 

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – For the two contenders seeking to deprive Jimmie Johnson of a fifth straight Sprint Cup championship, qualifying was no cause for celebration.

Johnson qualified sixth at176.482 mph. It was a nice solid run, leaving him well situated for the start of Sunday’s Ford 400.

Kevin Harvick qualified 28th, which wasn’t that unusual. Denny Hamlin qualified 37th, which was. Hamlin’s previous low in qualifying was 34th at Auto Club Speedway on Oct. 8. On the positive side, Hamlin did manage to salvage top-10 finishes in each of his previous qualifying performances that were 30th or worse, and he won after starting 30th just two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway.

A poor qualifying performance is also a poor predictor of race-day success, but starting deep in the field adds a certain amount of pressure to an already overheated championship battle.

Johnson held a press conference before qualifying, but what he said seemed pertinent: “I slept great. I don’t know if Denny (Hamlin) did, but I know I did.”

Hamlin’s response? “I feel the same as I do every week. No, I’m never uptight.”

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SPEECHLESS--If Foster Gillett meant to quiet rumors regarding the future of Richard Petty Motorsports, this wasn’t the way to do it.

Gillett, whose father George is the official owner of the team that carries the seven-time champion’s name, was at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday. His presence spread quickly, but he refused to responded to any questions posed by media members.

Rumors have the team going out of business, going out of business temporarily while other investors are acquired and being sunk by the reputed mountain of indebtedness faced by the Gillett family.

Foster Gillett’s presence reportedly did nothing to allay fears among team members that their jobs are endangered.

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STEWART’S TAKE-- Tony Stewart is the only driver who has won championships under both the “season-long” and current “Chase” format. Long relegated to the nether regions of the Chase field, Stewart offered his analysis of the three-way battle for the title.

“I think they’re all playing mind games with each other,” he said. “You don’t get this far in the season and be in this position by racing guys dirty. I don’t see it coming down to the last race with guys racing each other dirty.”

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TITLE MAY GO THROUGH HIM--As expected, Carl Edwards established himself as a contender to win the race. He ended a 70-race winless streak last week at Phoenix and qualified second. Edwards won this race in 2008 and has finished eighth or better in five straight races at Homestead.

Referring to Hamlin, Johnson and Harvick, Edwards said, “They’re all going to be aggressive. That’s the way it’s going to be, no matter what they say. That’s how they got in the position they’re in, and now it’s going to be a great race for everyone to watch.

“I hope I’m watching the whole thing in my rear-view mirror, though.”

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