Lets go racing!!
It took Ryan Newman just over 37 seconds Saturday to grab his fifth pole of the season and first at Michigan International Speedway.
NASCAR's "Rocketman,'' well on the way to becoming the best qualifier in the history of the stock car series, was the 43rd of 47 qualifiers when he turned a lap of 194.232 mph on the 2-mile, high-banked oval.
The lap -- timed at 37.069 seconds -- was easily good enough for his 32nd pole in 104 races.
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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption style="MARGIN: 4px 4px 12px 0px" align=left><!--===========CAPTION==========-->Casey Mears earned his best start of the year. Credit: Chris Stanford/Getty Images<!--===========/CAPTION=========--></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD width=10>
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</TD><TD class=boxTitle width=170 bgColor=#756558>BATMAN BEGINS 400
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Newman, a two-time Michigan winner and the defending race champion, was one of 26 drivers who bettered the previous qualifying record of 191.149, set in August 2000 by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Tony Stewart set the target with a lap of 193.512, but said he expected Newman would "turn a speed never seen here before in a stock car.''
Newman was up to the task. The only qualifying lap faster this season was a 194.690 by Newman at Atlanta in March.
"I'm just happy about that lap,'' Newman said. "The track is probably in the best condition it's ever been here for qualifying.''
The first person to congratulate Newman was his father, Greg.
"I told my dad that I'd like to give him a win tomorrow for Father's Day, but I'd try to give him a pole today in case we don't win the race,'' said Newman, who has not won since last September at Dover.
Stewart wound up third when Casey Mears followed Newman onto the track and turned a lap of 193.757 to grab the outside spot on the all-Dodge front row for Sunday's Batman Begins 400 Nextel Cup race.
Kasey Kahne, driving another Dodge, will start alongside Stewart's Chevrolet at 193.123, followed by the Charger of Kahne's teammate Jeremy Mayfield at 193.086 and the Chevrolets of Bobby Labonte and Brian Vickers at 193.055 and 192.818.
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It took Ryan Newman just over 37 seconds Saturday to grab his fifth pole of the season and first at Michigan International Speedway.
NASCAR's "Rocketman,'' well on the way to becoming the best qualifier in the history of the stock car series, was the 43rd of 47 qualifiers when he turned a lap of 194.232 mph on the 2-mile, high-banked oval.
The lap -- timed at 37.069 seconds -- was easily good enough for his 32nd pole in 104 races.
<!--startclickprintexclude--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=195 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=10>
</TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; PADDING-TOP: 5px" colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=boxStory>• </TD><TD class=boxStory>Lineup</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=boxStory>• </TD><TD class=boxStory>Happy Hour Speeds</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=boxStory>• </TD><TD class=boxStory>1st Practice Speeds</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!--endclickprintexclude-->
Newman, a two-time Michigan winner and the defending race champion, was one of 26 drivers who bettered the previous qualifying record of 191.149, set in August 2000 by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Tony Stewart set the target with a lap of 193.512, but said he expected Newman would "turn a speed never seen here before in a stock car.''
Newman was up to the task. The only qualifying lap faster this season was a 194.690 by Newman at Atlanta in March.
"I'm just happy about that lap,'' Newman said. "The track is probably in the best condition it's ever been here for qualifying.''
The first person to congratulate Newman was his father, Greg.
"I told my dad that I'd like to give him a win tomorrow for Father's Day, but I'd try to give him a pole today in case we don't win the race,'' said Newman, who has not won since last September at Dover.
Stewart wound up third when Casey Mears followed Newman onto the track and turned a lap of 193.757 to grab the outside spot on the all-Dodge front row for Sunday's Batman Begins 400 Nextel Cup race.
Kasey Kahne, driving another Dodge, will start alongside Stewart's Chevrolet at 193.123, followed by the Charger of Kahne's teammate Jeremy Mayfield at 193.086 and the Chevrolets of Bobby Labonte and Brian Vickers at 193.055 and 192.818.
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