He's up to speed

Behind in points, Gordon wins pole

March 29, 2008

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MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Jeff Gordon laughs at the notion that sitting 14th in the points standings after five races means he's off to a slow start, and he showed that he's doing just fine yesterday by winning the pole at Martinsville Speedway for tomorrow's Goody's Cool Orange 500.

"Yes, turn things around. It has been a terrible year," Gordon said in jest yesterday after turning a lap at 96.288 mph.

Gordon's lap on the 0.526-mile oval, the oldest, shortest and trickiest in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, easily beat Denny Hamlin (95.757) and allowed him to claim his seventh career Martinsville pole and the 65th of his career, the fourth-best total in NASCAR history.

Only Richard Petty (126), David Pearson (112) and Cale Yarborough (70) won more.

Gordon also has won seven times on the oval, tops among active drivers, and he hopes he can quiet the critics who say his Hendrick Motorsports team is struggling.

"It bothers me when somebody says we aren't running good because we have been running great," he said.

The second row features rookie Aric Almirola and David Ragan, followed by Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Ken Schrader and Kyle Busch. Jimmie Johnson, winner of the past three races at Martinsville, will start 10th.

Indy Racing League transplant Sam Hornish Jr. was the top qualifying rookie, securing the 26th spot with a lap at 94.637 mph, while fellow former open wheel racers Patrick Carpentier and Dario Franchitti also made the race. Carpentier will start 37th, Franchitti 43rd.

Also in is Michael McDowell, who will make his first start in the series in the No. 00 car that David Reutimann drove until this week for Michael Waltrip's three-car Toyota team. Reutimann has moved into the No. 44 that opened when Dale Jarrett retired. McDowell will start 34th.

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Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun

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