Samsung Mobile 500 Qualifying – STEWART ON THE POLE!

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent in time trials at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth by winning the pole for Sunday’s Samsung Mobile 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Stewart, who will make his 400th career Sprint Cup start on Sunday, turned a lap of 28.224 seconds at 191.327 mph on the 1.5-mile oval.

It was the 11th Sprint Cup pole of Stewart’s career, but his first in 155 races, dating back to Oct. 21, 2005, when he qualified on the pole at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Stewart had previously never won a Sprint Cup pole at Texas, but captured the top starting spot for the track’s IndyCar Series races in 1997 and 1998.

“I’m real happy with our lap,” said Stewart, who won a Sprint Cup race at Texas in November 2006. “I’m not normally a very good qualifier, so that is a great run for our Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy. I want to thank Hendrick chassis and engines. This one is for everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing. They have really been working hard. Last weekend was a good weekend for us as an organization. I’m really proud of what they’re doing, so thank you guys.”

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Army ROTC Chevrolet Impala for SHR, will start 10th after turning a lap of 28.421 seconds at 190.000 mph.

“That was a good run for the Army ROTC Chevrolet,” said Newman, who won his first race for SHR last weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. “I felt like we picked up speed on a track that was hotter, so it was a good thing. We were only beat by the guys that beat us in practice, so that’s two good things.”

The last time both SHR cars qualified in the top-10 was in February at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where Newman qualified third and Stewart qualified ninth.

Sam Hornish Jr., will start alongside Stewart on the outside of row one, as he timed in at 28.238 seconds at 191.232 mph. Greg Biffle was third (28.287 seconds at 190.900 mph), while Jimmie Johnson (28.290 seconds at 190.880 mph) and Kasey Kahne (28.315 seconds at 190.712 mph) rounded out the top-five.

Forty-six drivers attempted to qualify for the Samsung Mobile 500. Those not making the cut in the 43-car field were Johnny Sauter, Terry Cook and David Stremme.

As far as manufacturers went, Chevrolet took the top spot thanks to Stewart’s pole-winning mark. Dodge was next best at the hands of Hornish, while Ford was the third-fastest make thanks to Biffle. Seventh-quick Kyle Busch (28.384 seconds at 190.248 mph) was the top Toyota.

The Samsung Mobile 500 gets underway at 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 18 with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 2 p.m.