CONCORD, N.C.
Jimmie Johnson will start on the pole for tonight's NASCAR Sprint All-Star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
It's Johnson's first pole in the all-star race. Drivers completed three laps and had a four-tire pit stop. Quickest overall time determined the lineup.
Johnson beat Kurt Busch for the pole by less than a second, finishing his run in 2 minutes, 1.416 seconds.
"(Johnson's) guys are always the tough ones to beat at Lowe's no matter what it is," Busch said.
Matt Kenseth will start third with Dale Earnhardt Jr. fourth and Mark Martin fifth.
Jeff Gordon, who has won the event three times, starts sixth. Defending race winner Kasey Kahne starts eighth.
Denny Hamlin suffered mechanical problems after pulling out of his pit and stopped his run. He qualified last among the 18 cars. Tony Stewart will start 15th; he initially sped out of his pit after his team changed only two tires. He backed his car to the pit box to complete the stop, losing several seconds.
Tonight's race will feature four segments. The first is 50 laps. The next two will be 20 laps each, and the final will be 10 laps, with the winner collecting $1 million.
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2010 schedule in the works, France says
NASCAR Chairman Brian France said series officials are "way down the road" at setting next year's schedule.
"We're working with everybody as we would to figure out if realignment is an option for one of the track companies," France said.
NASCAR typically announces the next year's schedule in late summer or early fall.
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Hornaday wins trucks
Ron Hornaday Jr. raced to his first NASCAR trucks victory of the season and the 40th of his career, holding off Kyle Busch over the final laps Friday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
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Pit passes
Jeff Burton's won the pit crew competition Thursday night. Reed Sorenson's team finished second.... Tom Reddin, CEO of Richard Petty Motorsports, has left the team.
Staff and wire reports
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