Joe Gibbs Racing Qualifying Report - Phoenix
Date: Nov. 9, 2007
Event: Checker Auto Parts 500k (Round 35 of 36)
Series: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series
Location: Phoenix International Raceway (1-mile oval)
Pole Winner: Carl Edwards of Roush Fenway Racing (27.114 seconds at 132.773 mph)
JGR Lineup: J.J. Yeley (4th, 27.224 seconds at 132.236 mph)
Denny Hamlin (15th, 27.350 seconds at 131.627 mph)
Tony Stewart (21st, 27.401 seconds at 131.382 mph)
J.J. Yeley, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet, qualified fourth to lead the three-car Joe Gibbs Racing contingent during time trials for Sunday’s Checker Auto Parts 500k NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway. Yeley turned a lap of 27.224 seconds at 132.236 mph on the 1-mile oval.
“During practice we made some changes after we made some runs in race trim,” said Yeley, a Phoenix native who calls the desert oval his hometown track. “Steve (Addington, crew chief) made some good calls and the car drove really well. I was just a little bit free out of turn four. I know the racetrack cooled down a bunch for the guys that went out late, but it was still a great lap. It would have been awesome to get the pole here in Phoenix, but I knew we went out too early for it to hold on. But to still start fourth will give us great track position. We ran really well here in the spring, and I’m really looking forward to giving the hometown fans someone to cheer for on Sunday.”
Yeley’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammates – Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 FedEx Ground Chevrolet and Tony Stewart in the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet – qualified 15th and 21st, respectively. Hamlin turned a lap of 27.350 seconds at 131.627 mph, while Stewart stopped the clocks in 27.401 seconds at 131.382 mph.
“We were too tight in practice, especially in turns one and two where you need to be really patient on entry,” said Hamlin, who scored his first career Nextel Cup pole at Phoenix in November 2005. “We made our way through turns three and four just fine, but the track just had way too much grip for us to turn in a solid qualifying effort. We had good practice times in race trim and we started worse than 15th last year at this race, so I think we’ll still have a car that will be running up front on Sunday. I’m not too worried. We’ll make some tweaks tomorrow and be ready to go on Sunday.”
“That wasn’t too bad of a lap. It was better from what we ran in practice, for sure,” said Stewart, who earned his second career Nextel Cup win at Phoenix during his rookie year in November 1999. “We picked up about three-and-a-half tenths, so that’s a pretty good pickup from practice to qualifying.”
Carl Edwards captured his third career pole position and his first of the season with a time of 27.114 seconds at 132.773 mph. Rounding out the top-five in qualifying were Martin Truex Jr., (27.117 seconds at 132.758 mph), Jeff Gordon (27.129 seconds at 132.699 mph), Yeley and Johnny Sauter (27.243 seconds at 132.144 mph).
Forty-nine drivers attempted to qualify for the Checker Auto Parts 500k. Those not making the cut in the 43-car field were Michael Waltrip, A.J. Allmendinger, Ward Burton, John Andretti, Dale Jarrett and David Reutimann.
As far as manufacturers went, Ford took the top spot thanks to Edwards’ pole-winning mark. Chevrolet was next best at the hands of Truex. Ninth-quick Kurt Busch carried the flag for Dodge (27.268 seconds at 132.023 mph), while the top Toyota came via 17th-quick Dave Blaney (27.367 seconds at 131.545 mph).
The Checker Auto Parts 500k gets underway on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 3:30 p.m. EST. ABC will broadcast the event live and in high-definition beginning with its pre-race show at 3 p.m.
