Stewart-Haas Racing: Ford 400 Qualifying

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala SS, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent in time trials at Homestead-Miami Speedway by qualifying fifth for Sunday’s Ford 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Stewart turned a lap of 31.351 seconds at 172.243 mph on the 1.5-mile oval.

“We basically ran the same thing that we ran in practice… made just a small air pressure adjustment,” said Stewart, who won at Homestead in 1999 and 2000. “It was pretty much what we wanted there – a good, solid run that gives us a great starting spot for Sunday along with a really good pit selection.”

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army All-American Bowl/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala SS for SHR, qualified seventh with a time of 31.389 seconds at 172.035 mph.

“It was a great run for our U.S. Army Chevrolet,” said Newman, who has two top-10 finishes in seven career Sprint Cup starts at Homestead. “I got loose down in (turns) three and four and lost some time down there. It was a good run for us and it gave us a good starting spot, which we haven’t had the last few weeks.”

Championship point leader Jimmie Johnson captured his 23rd career Sprint Cup pole, his fourth of the season and his second at Homestead by posting a lap of 31.049 seconds at 173.919 mph.

Rookie Scott Speed will start alongside Johnson on the outside of row one (31.269 seconds at 172.695 mph), while Marcos Ambrose (31.272 seconds at 172.678 mph), Mark Martin (31.331 seconds at 172.353 mph) and Stewart rounded out the top-five.

Forty-eight drivers attempted to qualify for the Ford 400. Those not making the cut in the 43-car field were Joe Nemechek, Dave Blaney, Mike Skinner, Max Papis and David Stremme.

As far as manufacturers went, Chevrolet took the top spot thanks to Johnson’s pole-winning mark. Toyota was next best at the hands of Speed, while the top Ford came courtesy of eighth-fastest Greg Biffle (31.391 seconds at 172.024 mph). Dodge rounded out the manufacturers with 12th-quick Kurt Busch (31.433 seconds at 171.794 mph).

The season-ending Ford 400 gets underway at 3:15 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 22, with live coverage provided by ABC beginning with its pre-race show at 2:30 p.m.