From the frustrations of Bristol, Tony Stewart sure has come back swinging in Atlanta.
For the first time in the 2012 season, Stewart will start on the pole after taking the top spot in qualifying for Sunday’s AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Stewart, who was the second-to-last car to take time in the session, won the pole with an unconventional flying lap around the top-side of the 1.5-mile speedway.
“I guess it’s proof that all those nights that we show up at Eldora (Ohio) late and have to get in the car with no practice and have to run around the top pays off,” said Stewart after his qualifying lap.
“That lap is 100 percent due to Ryan Newman. He walked back down and helped us before we went out and said, ‘There’s a ton of grip up there (high side of the track), you just gotta do it’.
The pole marks the first time in Stewart’s career he has one a pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway where he is a multi-time race winner with his most recent victory coming in September, 2010.
“I was having a hard time convincing myself what I was going to be. He goes, ‘Definetly run it on the out lap in (turns) three and four, and from there to the start finish line you can make your decision.’
“It’s about two-and-one-half seconds to the start finish line. If it weren’t for him we wouldn’t be on the pole probably.”
Starting alongside Stewart for Sunday night’s race will be the Sprint Cup Series points leader, Greg Biffle.
While Stewart was strong, the fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. was anything but.
After struggling in the only Sprint Cup practice earlier in the day, Earnhardt Jr. was only able to qualify his No.88 in the 35th position for Sunday night’s race.
From posting the 42nd fastest time in practice in the afternoon, Danica Patrick didn’t expect much out of her qualifying effort.
Patrick qualified her Stewart Haas Chevrolet in the 23rd starting position, the best qualifying effort of her Sprint Cup Series career.
AdvoCare 500 Starting Lineup:
1: Tony Stewart
2: Greg Biffle
3: Kyle Busch
4: Matt Keneth
5: Jeff Gordon
6: Mark Martin
7: Denny Hamlin
8: Jimmie Johnson
9: Joey Logano
10: Marcos Ambrose
11: Kasey Kahne
12: Carl Edwards
13: Aric Almirola
14: David Ragan
15: Sam Hornish Jr.
16: Kurt Busch
17: Paul Menard
18: Ryan Newman
19: Casey Mears
20: Jamie McMurray
21: Brad Keselowski
22: Dave Blaney
23: Danica Patrick
24: Kevin Harvick
25: Bobby Labonte
26: Jeff Burton
27: Regan Smith
28: Martin Truex Jr.
29: David Gilliland
30: Clint Bowyer
31: David Stremme
32: Trevor Bayne
33: Juan Pablo Montoya
34: Jason Leffler
35: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
36: Scott Speed
37: Joe Nemechek
38: Reed Sorenson
39: Scott Riggs
40: JJ Yeley
41: Landon Cassill
42: Travis Kvapil
43: TJ Bell
