2008 October Pole Sitter: None due to inclement weather

2009 May Pole Sitter: #39-Ryan Newman, 188.475mph, finished 2nd

Track Qualifying Record: #38-Elliott Sadler, Oct 2005, 193.216mph

Event Qualifying Record: #12-Ryan Newman, May 2005, 192.988mph

Johnson on pole at Lowe's: #48-Jimmie Johnson won the Coors Light Pole Award for the NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway with a lap of 192.376mph for his 3rd pole of the season and 22nd career pole. #5-Martin is 2nd fastest followed by #9-Kahne, #17-Kenseth, #14-Stewart, #39-Newman, #71-Bliss, #25-Keselowski, #24-Gordon and #18-Busch.
The eight non Top-35 drivers who made the race: #71-Bliss, #25-Keselowski, #02-Gilliland, #82-Speed, #87-Nemechek, #21-Elliott, #13-Papis and #08-Terry Labonte who used a past champions provisional to make the race.
The four drivers who failed to qualify: #36-McDowell, #09-Marlin, #66-Blaney and #37-Kvapil.(10-15-2009)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Lowe's Motor Speedway:
#48-Jimmie Johnson won the Coors Light Pole Award for the NASCAR Banking 500 only from Bank of America with a lap of 28.070 seconds, 192.376 mph.
This is his 22nd pole in 286 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his third pole and 23rd top-10 start in 2009.
Johnson broke the record for fastest qualifying lap in the new car. The previous fastest qualifying lap in the new car was run by Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Texas Motor Speedway in April 2008 (190.907 mph).
This is his third pole in 17 races at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte.
#5-Mark Martin (second) posted his 17th top-10 start of 2009 and his 28th in 50 races at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte.
#9-Kasey Kahne (third) posted his eighth top-10 start at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte. It is his 17th in 31 races this season.
#20-Joey Logano (12th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.(NASCAR Statistics)(10-15-2009)

Where the 2009 Chase Drivers start at Lowe's Motor Speedway:
(by the drivers Chase standing)
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson, starts 1st on the pole
2) #5-Mark Martin, 2nd
3) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, 18th
4) #14-Tony Stewart, 5th
5) #24-Jeff Gordon, 9th
6) #2-Kurt Busch, 15th
7) #16-Greg Biffle, 23rd
8) #99-Carl Edwards, 28th
9) #11-Denny Hamlin, 17th
10) #39-Ryan Newman, 6th
11) #9-Kasey Kahne, 3rd
12) #83-Brian Vickers, 30th.(10-15-2009)

Coverage of Qualifying for the NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway is scheduled for Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 9:05pm/et.
TV: ESPN2 - 9:00pm/et
Radio: PRN Radio and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio
Qualifying Re-Air: none scheduled

Pole Progression: (who had the pole first, who got it next and who ended up with it)
#47-Ambrose, 1st out to qualify, 189.980mph, starts 13th
#9-Kahne, 10th out, 191.056mph, starts 3rd
#48-Johnson, 11th out, 192.376mph, 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
[47 entered for 43 spots]:
have qualified for the race:
#25-Brad Keselowski, 190.362
#71-Mike Bliss, 190.360
#02-David Gilliland, 189.727
#82-Scott Speed, 189.607
#87-Joe Nemechek, 187.780
#21-Bill Elliott [PC2], 187.669
#13-Max Papis, 186.896
#08-Terry Labonte [PC1], 185.688 [using past champ provisional]
will miss the race:
#36-Michael McDowell, 186.851
#09-Sterling Marlin, 186.528
#66-Dave Blaney, 186.432
#37-Travis Kvapil, 185.153

Rookie of the Year Candidates:
how fast were they and where do they start:
#13-Max Papis (X), 186.896mph, starts 40th
#20-Joey Logano, 190.0257mph, starts 12th
#82-Scott Speed (X), 189.607mph, starts 16th
(X) = needs to race their way in to the race
DNR = Did not race
DNQ = Did not qualify for race

Practice Results:
Practice Speeds Page

Race info at: Race Info Page

Event Entry List

Past Champions Provisional page

All Time Sprint Cup Pole Winners

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 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 Nextel Cup Champions not in by 1 thru 4
#6) - Qualifying Attempts with Owners points as the tie breaker
#7) - Qualifying Order Position
(all above apply as long as the team was entered by the entry deadline - usually 7-13 days before the race)