Coverage of Qualifying for the Samsung Mobile 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway is scheduled for Friday, April 13, 2012 at 6:40pm/et.
TV: SPEED - 6:30pm/et
Scheduled qualifying re-air: none

April 2011 Pole Sitter: #6-David Ragan, 189.820mph, finished 7th

November 2011 Pole Winner: #16-Greg Biffle, 193.736 mph, finished 5th

Track Pole Record: #25-Brian Vickers, 196.235, 11/3/2006

Oldest Pole Winner: Bill Elliott, 46 years, 6 months, 0 days, 4/08/2002

Youngest Pole Winner: Brian Vickers, 23 years, 0 months, 12 days, 11/05/2006

Fastest First Practice Speed: #55-Martin, 189.427mph, scheduled to qualify 46th out of 46 drivers

NOTE: have stopped doing semi-live qualifying on Jayski.com.
NASCAR.com and FoxSports have live realtime qualifying and hits for my qualifying pages were way down in 2011 due to the availabilty of the real-time qualifying found at those sites.
Will still post Jayski.com's unique qualifying results here, to help explain how drivers made the race.
For Realtime qualifying, check out:
NASCAR.com and FoxSports

and listen to Performace Racing Network radio coverage of qualifying at www.goprn.com/live

Truex Jr. wins pole at Texas: #56-Martin Truex Jr. won the pole for the Samsung Mobile 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway with speed of 190.633mph for his 1st pole of 2012 and 7th career pole. #17-Kenseth was 2nd fastest followed by #16-Biffle, #55-Martin, #5-Kahne, #39-Newman, #9-Ambrose, #2-Keselowski, #1-McMurray and #48-Johnson.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #21-Bayne, #10-Reutimann, #26-Wise, #98-McDowell, #49-Yeley, #95-Speed, #23-Riggs & #19-Bliss.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (3): #30-Stremme, #87-Nemechek and #74-Compton.
See qualifying results & starting lineup below or on the Starting Lineup page (pdf). (4-13-2012)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Texas Motor Speedway:
#56- Martin Truex, Jr. won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 16th Annual Samsung Mobile 500 with a lap of 28.366 seconds, 190.369 mph.
This is his seventh pole in 232 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first pole and second top-10 start in 2012.
This is his second pole in 14 races at Texas Motor Speedway. His first came in November of 2007.
With the pole, Truex is locked into next year's Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.
#17-Matt Kenseth (second) posted his second top-10 start of 2012 and his ninth in 20 races at Texas Motor Speedway.
#16-Greg Biffle (third) posted his 10th top-10 start at Texas Motor Speedway. It is his sixth in seven races this season.(NASCAR Statistics)(4-13-2012)

Pole Progression: (who had the pole first, who got it next and who ended up with it)
#74-Compton, 1st out to qualify, 181.038mph, DNQ
#33-Raines, 2nd out, 181.824, starts 42nd
#38-Gilliland, 3rd out, 185.605, starts 35th
#26-Wise, 11th out, 186.361, starts 32nd
#83-Cassill, 14th out, 187.110, starts 28th
#88-Earnhardt Jr., 15th out, 188.442, starts 16th
#48-Johnson, 26th out, 189.261, starts 10th
#1-McMurray, 28th out, 189.294, starts 9th
#2-Keselowski, 30th out, 189.381, starts 8th
#56-Truex Jr., 32nd, 190.633, starts 1st

How did the non Top-35 teams do in qualifying?
Fastest 7 get in, 8th [43rd] spot goes to most recent past champ not in the race already or 8th fastest
[46 entered for 43 spots]:
have qualified for the race:
#21-Trevor Bayne, 188.186
#10-David Reutimann, 186.664
#26-Josh Wise#, 186.361
#98-Michael McDowell, 185.925
#49-J.J. Yeley, 185.542
#95-Scott Speed, 185.122
#23-Scott Riggs, 184.748
#19-Mike Bliss, 184.729
will miss the race:
#30-David Stremme, 184.716
#87-Joe Nemechek, 184.376
#74-Stacy Compton, 181.038

Thursday practice for the Samsung Mobile 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway is over, after 120 scheduled minutes, the top five fastest, slowest and notes:
#55-Martin 189.427
#16-Biffle 189.221
#29-Harvick 189.208
#22-Allmendinger 188.930
#78-Smith 188.877
slowest: #74-Compton 179.898 & #33-Raines 180.753
notes: this practice determined the qualifying order, so #74-Compton will go out first and #55-Martin will go out 46th/last. Qualifying is scheduled for Friday, April 13th at 6:40pm/et.
See fastest speeds, best ten-lap averages, laps run and more on the Texas 1st Practice Speeds (pdf), no average speeds all laps and NOT changing back to the old way, just posting the pdf's.(4-12-2012)

Go-or-Go Homers practice for the Samsung Mobile 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.
the final practice rank for the go-or-go homers (drivers not in the top 35 of current owners points)
These drivers would make the race if things stay the same:
#10-David Reutimann, 21st fastest overall
#21-Trevor Bayne, 27th
#98-Michael McDowell, 33rd
#49-J.J. Yeley, 34th
#26-Josh Wise#, 36th
#87-Joe Nemechek, 37th
#30-David Stremme, 38th
#19-Mike Bliss, 39th
These drivers would miss the race if things stay the same:
#23-Scott Riggs, 41st
#95-Scott Speed, 42nd
#74-Stacy Compton, 46th/last
(4-12-2012)

Race info at: Race Info Page

Event Entry List

Past Champions Provisional page

All Time Sprint Cup Pole Winners

2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying procedures:
1) qualifying order will be determined by the driver's fastest lap in first practice.
2) times on the speed sheet will be inverted with the slowest cars attempting their qualifying runs first
3) go-or-go-home cars will now qualify among the 35 teams locked in on owner points and not be separated by the field. 4) the NASCAR Sprint Cup director does reserve the right to change a driver's qualifying order or allow "adjustments or repairs" to cars after the car has taken the green flag at the start/finish line.
5) all cars must qualify with a full fuel cell.
6) qualifying consists of two consecutive timed laps (except at road courses, 1 lap)
7) the fastest lap determines qualifying position
8) in case of a rain-out of practice, a random drawing will be held for cars set up in the garage area to determine qualifying order
9) if qualifying is rained out, the order of the field will be set according to Section 9-5 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup rule book.

If first practice is run, but qualifying is unable to take place, the starting lineup will be based on speeds from the car's fastest lap from the first practice, with top-35 cars in owner points no longer segregated from the non-top 35 cars. Previously, the top 35 cars lined up in front of all other eligible car owners.(NASCAR)(7-7-2011)

Past Champions Provisional Berths in Sprint Cup: A past champion's provisional may be used by an eligible driver a maximum of six times over the course of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. A team with a past champion eligible driver may only use this provisional a maximum of six times during a season. The provisional gives the eligible driver the 43rd and final starting position in the race field. This is only for a team/driver OUTSIDE the top-35 in owners points, drivers whose team is in the top-35 in owners points, would already be guaranteed in the field and not need the Past Champions Provisional
See my Past Champions Provisional Page for more.

What happens if all qualifying gets cancelled [rain/weather/other]?
If bad weather cancels qualifying, the final starting lineup will be determined by practice speeds. The same rule book procedures will be used to determine eligibility to start a race. If weather cancels practice sessions, then the starting lineup will be set by points, per the rule book.

If qualifying AND all practices are canceled, then:
If it is during the first 5 races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Position [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners position [not in by rules 1-4]
#6) - For 2nd race of season, teams that missed Daytona 500, are seeded in owners points by thier finish in the Duels
#7) - Randon Draw if more then one team with no attempts

If qualifying is canceled by at least one practice gets run, then:
If it is the first 5 races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Position [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners position [not in by rules 1-4]
#6) - For 2nd race of season, teams that missed Daytona 500, are seeded in owners points by thier finish in the Duels
#7) - Randon Draw if more then one team with no attempts
#8) - One it is determined which teams/driver made the race, then the field is set by 1st practice speeds.

What happens if just qualifying is cancelled?
If it is during the first 5 races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Position [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners position [not in by rules 1-4]
#6) - For 2nd race of season, teams that missed Daytona 500, are seeded in owners points by thier finish in the Duels
#7) - Randon Draw if more then one team with no attempts
#8) - One it is determined which teams/driver made the race, then the field is set by 1st practice speeds.

What happens if just qualifying is cancelled?
AFTER the 5th race of the season, the current season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - First 35 by current Owner Points [team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Last Years Sprint Cup Champ or the Event Champion if not already in the field
#3) - Car Owners whose team has won in the previous and current season not already in the field
#4) - Drivers who have won in the previous and current season not already in the field
#5) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 thru 4
#6) - Qualifying Attempts with current Owners points as the tie breaker
#7) - NASCAR will hold a draw for teams with no owners points / attempts
#8) - One it is determined which teams/driver made the race, then the field is set by 1st practice speeds.

NOTE: all above apply as long as the team was entered by the entry deadline - usually 7-13 days before the race

2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying procedures:
1) qualifying order will be determined by the driver's fastest lap in first practice.
2) times on the speed sheet will be inverted with the slowest cars attempting their qualifying runs first
3) go-or-go-home cars will now qualify among the 35 teams locked in on owner points and not be separated by the field. 4) the NASCAR Sprint Cup director does reserve the right to change a driver's qualifying order or allow "adjustments or repairs" to cars after the car has taken the green flag at the start/finish line.
5) all cars must qualify with a full fuel cell.
6) qualifying consists of two consecutive timed laps (except at road courses, 1 lap)
7) the fastest lap determines qualifying position
8) in case of a rain-out of practice, a random drawing will be held for cars set up in the garage area to determine qualifying order
9) if qualifying is rained out, the order of the field will be set according to Section 9-5 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup rule book.