Coverage of Qualifying for the Subway Fresh Fit 500(k) Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway is scheduled for Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 2:40pm/et.
TV: SPEED - 2:30pm/et
Qualifying Re-Air: none scheduled

2011 February Pole Sitter: #99-Carl Edwards, 137.279mph [track record], finished 28th

2011 November Pole Sitter: #17-Matt Kenseth, 137.101mph, finished 34th

Track Qualifying Record: Carl Edwards, 2/26/2011, 137.279mph

Oldest Pole Winner: Mark Martin, 50 years, 3 months, 9 days, 4/18/2009

Youngest Pole Winner: Kyle Busch, 20 years, 11 months, 20 days, 4/22/2006

Fastest First Practice Speed: #14-Stewart, 138.680mph, scheduled to qualify 44th out of 44 drivers

NOTE: not doing semi-live qualifying anymore. With NASCAR.com and FoxSports having realtime qualifying and hits for my qualifying pages way down due to the availabilty of the real-time qualifying found elsewhere.
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
FoxSports

Martin wins pole at Phoenix: #55-Mark Martin won the pole for the Subway Fresh Fit 500(k) Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway with a lap of 136.814mph for his 1st pole of 2012 and 52nd career pole. The oldest pole sitter is Harry Gant, who won the pole at Bristol in August 1994 at the age of 54 years, 7 months, 17 days. Martin turned 53 in January. #14-Stewart was 2nd fastest followed by #78-Smith, #48-Johnson, #42-MOntoya, #39-Newman, #16-Biffle, #29-Harvick, #20-Logano, and #5-Kahne.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #36-Blaney, #23-Riggs, #26-Wise, 49-Yeley, #98-McDowell, #87-Nemechek, #7-Gordon, and #30-Stremme.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (1): #37-Hill.
See qualifying results & starting lineup below or on the Starting Lineup page (pdf) (pdf). (3-3-2012)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Phoenix:
Mark Martin won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 8th Annual SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 with a lap of 26.313 seconds, 136.815 mph.
This is his 52nd pole in 832 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first pole and first top-10 start in 2012.
This is his second pole in 31 races at Phoenix International Raceway. He won the the pole on April 18, 2009 leading 157 laps.
Tony Stewart (second) posted his second top-10 start of 2012 and his 10th in 21 races at Phoenix International Raceway.
Regan Smith (third) posted his fourth top-10 start at Phoenix International Raceway. It is his second in two races this season.
Josh Wise (33rd) was the fastest qualifying rookie. (NASCAR Statistics)(3-2-2012)

Pole Progression: (who had the pole first, who got it next and who ended up with it)
#37-Hill, 1st out to qualify, 128.968mph, DNQ
#26-Wise, 2nd out to qualify,132.084mph, starts 33rd
#10-Reutimann, 10th out to qualify, 132.231mph, starts 32nd
#11-Hamlin, 11th out to qualify, 134.499mph, starts 13th
#48-Johnson, 21st out to qualify, 135.583mph, starts 4th
#78-Smith, 32nd out to qualify, 135.998mph, starts 3rd
#55-Martin, 43rd out to qualify, 136.814mph, 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
[44 entered for 43 spots]:
have qualified for the race:
#36-Dave Blaney, 133.630
#23-Scott Riggs, 132.743
#26-Josh Wise#, 132.084
#49-J.J. Yeley, 131.685
#98-Michael McDowell, 131.502
#87-Joe Nemechek, 130.596
#7-Robby Gordon, 130.364
#30-David Stremme, 129.092
will miss the race:
#37-Timmy Hill, 128.968

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 cancled, 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 cancled 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.