A Quick Look At Qualifying For The Dodge Challenger 500

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• Greg Biffle established a track record Friday, winning the Coors Light Pole Award for Saturday night's Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Raceway. Biffle's 3M Ford was clocked at 27.405 seconds, 179.442 mph, in the first NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying session since the 1.366-mile track was repaved.
  
  
• Biffle's lap on NASCAR's oldest superspeedway broke Ward Burton's track qualifying record of 28.295 seconds, 173.797 mph, set March 22, 1996. Burton’s was the longest standing qualifying record at an active, non-restrictor plate track. The top-41 drivers broke Burton’s old record on the track that opened on Labor Day weekend in 1950.
  
  
• Biffle's first Darlington pole was the fifth of his Cup career. It is his sixth top-10 start at Darlington and his second this year.
  
  
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned the other front row starting position, posting the second fastest lap in a Chevrolet carrying the Mountain Dew paint scheme that was on Darrell Waltrip's Junior Johnson-prepared Chevrolet in the early 1980s. Earnhardt Jr. posted a 27.418-second, 179.357-mph lap. It is his sixth top-10 start this year and his fourth in 14 Darlington races.
  
  
• Earnhardt Jr. missed the pole by 0.013 second.
  
  
• Jimmie Johnson earned the third starting position in his third car this weekend. Johnson wrecked his primary car and his backup in practice. The car Johnson used in qualifying was brought to Darlington from Hendrick Motorsports on Friday. Johnson posted a 27.441-second, 179.206-mph lap for his sixth top-10 start in 10 races at Darlington. This is his 11th top-10 start this season.
  
  
• Tony Stewart piloted the top qualifying Toyota. His fourth fastest lap was 27.461 seconds, 179.076 mph.
  
  
• Kurt Busch led the Dodge contingent, nailing down the fifth starting position with a lap of 27.478 seconds, 178.965 mph.
  
  
• Rounding out the top 10, respectively, are: Kyle Busch, Toyota; Elliott Sadler, Dodge; Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet; Scott Riggs, Chevrolet; and Bobby Labonte, Dodge.
  
  
• Dave Blaney was the fastest of the drivers required to make the field on time. He qualified his Toyota 13th.
  
  
• Regan Smith (16th) was the fastest qualifying rookie, claiming the 16th starting position.
  
  
• The Wood Brothers Ford Bill Elliott qualified 20th is carrying the same paint scheme that David Pearson drove to numerous victory lanes and poles in the 1970s – candy apple red and white.
  
  
• Paul Menard had to use a backup car for qualifying. He will start 41st.
  
  
• Kasey Kahne crashed his Dodge in qualifying and had to get into the field on owner points. He will go off 42nd.
  
  
• Robby Gordon also crashed in qualifying and had to settle for the 40th starting position.
  
  
• Failing to qualify for the race were Johnny Sauter and Jeff Green.

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