Johnson continues to play spoiler
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Jimmie Johnson is doing his best to play spoiler now that his championship chances are done.
The six-time NASCAR champion was eliminated from the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship in the first round of the playoffs. But his win last week at Texas denied Brad Keselowski a spot in the finale, and now he’s on the pole for the final elimination race.
Johnson turned a lap at 143.158 mph in qualifying Friday to win the pole at Phoenix International Raceway.
His effort kept Kurt Busch, who is still in the Chase, from the top starting spot for Sunday’s race.
There are seven drivers vying for three spots next week in the title-deciding finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Only Jeff Gordon has clinched a berth in the final four.
“There’s nothing better,” Johnson said. “If you can’t be in it, you may as well go out there and spoil it.”
Johnson has five wins this season, but a mechanical failure in the first elimination race of the Chase bounced him from the playoffs.
Busch was second and the highest-qualifying driver still eligible for the championship.
Busch led the second round of qualifying with a track record speed of 142.982 mph, but he was bumped from the pole in the third and final round of qualifying.
Busch likely needs to win Sunday to advance to the final four.
“The car has speed,” Busch said. “We’ve got to stay focused on getting this 41 car punching its ticket down to Homestead.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Johnson’s teammate at Hendrick Motorsports who was eliminated from the Chase in the second round, qualified third.
Carl Edwards qualified fourth and was followed by Martin Truex Jr. as two drivers trying to advance into Homestead landed inside the top-five.
“We had a fast car and I’m excited to go race now. We have a good starting spot, which was our first mission,” Edwards said. “Obviously, we want to be better than fourth, but we’re close enough to the front that we have a good pit stall selection.”
