TALLADEGA, Ala. – For the first time since Dan Wheldon’s fatal accident, the focus was back on the race track.
Hendrick Motorsports proved Saturday it has the best superspeedway program in NASCAR with a sweep of the front row in qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway.
Mark Martin won the pole with a lap of 181.367 mph, just a tick faster than the 181.360 posted by five-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson. Hendrick Motorsports now has won the pole at all four superspeedway races this season, and swept the front row in all but one.
“Our qualifying on (restrictor) plate tracks this season has just been amazing,” said Johnson.
Martin began his post-qualifying news conference on a somber note, encouraging fans to visit the web site dedicated to Dan Wheldon. Sunday’s race at Talladega is the first major event since the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was killed in the IndyCar season finale at Las Vegas last Sunday.
The first of two memorials for Wheldon was Saturday, and the second is scheduled for Sunday in Indianapolis about the same time the NASCAR race will end. NASCAR is honoring Wheldon with decals on its cars that display the Lionheart Knight image that Wheldon affixed to the back of his helmets,
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