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Greg Biffle has always been a tough competitor in a Sprint Cup race. Only as a qualifier - not-so-much. On Friday, he bumped Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne off the pole at Darlington, the track known as "too tough to tame."
Once again Biffle credited his crew chief Matt Puccia for the change in his qualifying results: "I've said it three times in these interviews now, I'm having such a great time driving these race cars. My guys and Matt Puccia are doing such a great job. This is what a race car driver looks forward to is showing up every weekend and having a really fast car to drive."
Biffle, driving a Ford, turned a lap of 180.2557 mph around the 1.366-mile oval - also known as the lady in black - to wrest his 11th career pole from Johnson and Kahne who were each at 179.566 mph.
"It was a pretty uneventful lap," Biffle said. "The car just had a ton of grip - it stuck to the race track really, really well. I felt like I was a little bit light down in Turns 1 and 2 - I should have been a little bit quicker down there - but I got a lot out of it in 3 and 4, so it was a great lap."
Five-time champion Johnson gets to start on the front row on the basis of his points standings breaking the tie with Kahne. Both are driving Chevrolets.
Johnson said "Greg certainly went down there and found it. I was watching. He had a blistering fast 3 and 4, and came back around and got us. But it was a productive day. We're learning a lot. I wish it was a Hendrick front row, but it was a solid day...”
Kahne added "I didn't necessarily think it was going to be a pole at the time, and then the speeds; everybody was really close from about a .40 to a .45; there were a lot of cars right there. And then Greg went out at the end and beat us."
Ryan Newman will start fourth. Danica Patrick, in her second Sprint Cup race qualified 38th. She said "I know the starting spot won't be great, but it was a step forward for me and those are the things I'm looking for along the way."
Once again Biffle credited his crew chief Matt Puccia for the change in his qualifying results: "I've said it three times in these interviews now, I'm having such a great time driving these race cars. My guys and Matt Puccia are doing such a great job. This is what a race car driver looks forward to is showing up every weekend and having a really fast car to drive."
Biffle, driving a Ford, turned a lap of 180.2557 mph around the 1.366-mile oval - also known as the lady in black - to wrest his 11th career pole from Johnson and Kahne who were each at 179.566 mph.
"It was a pretty uneventful lap," Biffle said. "The car just had a ton of grip - it stuck to the race track really, really well. I felt like I was a little bit light down in Turns 1 and 2 - I should have been a little bit quicker down there - but I got a lot out of it in 3 and 4, so it was a great lap."
Five-time champion Johnson gets to start on the front row on the basis of his points standings breaking the tie with Kahne. Both are driving Chevrolets.
Johnson said "Greg certainly went down there and found it. I was watching. He had a blistering fast 3 and 4, and came back around and got us. But it was a productive day. We're learning a lot. I wish it was a Hendrick front row, but it was a solid day...”
Kahne added "I didn't necessarily think it was going to be a pole at the time, and then the speeds; everybody was really close from about a .40 to a .45; there were a lot of cars right there. And then Greg went out at the end and beat us."
Ryan Newman will start fourth. Danica Patrick, in her second Sprint Cup race qualified 38th. She said "I know the starting spot won't be great, but it was a step forward for me and those are the things I'm looking for along the way."