INDIANAPOLIS — Two-time defending NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson won the pole Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, giving him the top starting spot in a race that has consistently vexed him.
Johnson ran a lap at 181.763 mph in his Chevrolet to win his first pole at Indianapolis in seven previous tries. He bested Mark Martin, who guaranteed in June that he’d win Sunday’s race. Martin’s lap was 181.393 in a Chevy.
“There’s certainly a lot of speed in the car,” Johnson said. “It’s fun when you have a car like that and you can go out there and be aggressive like that.”
Johnson was the 18th driver to qualify, a spot that was early enough in the order that the track was still cool and the sun wasn’t yet roasting the surface. Martin went out 12 cars later, under warmer conditions, and wasn’t able to better Johnson’s mark.
“Great engine, great car,” Martin said. “I wasn’t even shaking after that lap, it was that good.”
Ryan Newman qualified third and was followed by Kasey Kahne and four-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon. He was followed by Elliott Sadler and Kurt Busch in Dodges, then the Roush Fenway Racing Fords of Jamie McMurray, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth.
Defending race winner Tony Stewart qualified 14th.
Failing to qualify were Bill Elliott, Johnny Sauter, Stanton Barrett and Tony Raines.
Although Johnson won at the Brickyard in 2006, he’s got three finishes of 36th or worse here and was in a fiery wreck last season.