Dale Jarrett is interviewed after his Bud Pole-winning run. Credit: Autostock

Jarrett wins third Daytona 500 pole

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Dale Jarrett and Jimmie Johnson will share the front row for the start of next Sunday's Daytona 500, the NASCAR Nextel Cup's season-opener.

Jeff Gordon, Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports teammate, was fastest in Saturday practice at Daytona International Speedway and was the heavy favorite in the garage area to take the pole. It looked like a good prediction when the two-time 500 winner took the top spot early in Sunday's qualifying with a lap of 188.155 mph.

Bud Pole winnerDale Jarrett turns the fastest time in Daytona 500 qualifying Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

But three-time 500 winner Jarrett, among the fastest drivers in preseason testing, topped Gordon's Chevrolet with a lap of 188.312, grabbing his third Daytona 500 pole and first since 2000.

Johnson, the 53rd of 57 drivers to make qualifying attempts, pushed his teammate to third with a lap of 188.170.

"This is really a good race car," said Jarrett, who drives the No. 88 Ford Taurus for Robert Yates Racing. "These guys have been working on this car since October. It's been in the wind tunnel a lot and we had a good test here in January."

Jarrett, his voice rough from the lingering effects of the flu, said, "I'm still a bit under the weather. I'm trying to get rest at night, but I'm doing all right and things like this certainly make the healing process a lot better."

"I'm real proud of my guys," said Johnson, who won Saturday night's non-points Budweiser Shootout. "This is an awesome way to start Speed Weeks."

Kevin Harvick was a somewhat surprising third at 187.914 in a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, followed by the Chevys of MB2/MBV Motorsports teammates Joe Nemechek and Scott Riggs at 187.837 and 187.758, respectively.

Only the front row starters locked in starting spots for next Sunday's race but, under NASCAR's new qualifying rules, the top 35 teams in car owner points are guaranteed starting positions in the race. All Sunday's time trials did for everyone but Jarrett and Johnson was determine where they will start in Thursday's two 150-mile qualifying races.

Rounding out the top 10 in qualifying were reigning Cup champion Kurt Busch, Ricky Rudd and Elliott Sadler.

Daytona 500 Qualifying Results Pos. Driver Speed Time 1 D. Jarrett 188.312 47.793 2 J. Johnson 188.17 47.829 3 J. Gordon 188.155 47.833 4 K. Harvick 187.915 47.894 5 J. Nemechek 187.837 47.914 6 S. Riggs 187.758 47.934 7 J. Leffler 187.715 47.945 8 Ku. Busch 187.699 47.949 9 R. Rudd 187.414 48.022 10 E. Sadler 187.398 48.026

Defending Daytona winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified 39th Sunday, but said he was not discouraged.

"The car races really well in the draft," Junior said. "If everything works fine, we'll have good race on Thursday and get up front sooner or later."

The rest of the 43-car race field will be filled solely by qualifying speeds during the rest of the Cup season. But Daytona has a unique qualifying format that includes the qualifying races, upped from 125 miles to 150 this year.

The four fastest drivers Saturday not among the top 35 -- Jason Leffler, Boris Said, Mike Skinner and John Andretti -- locked up starting spots Sunday. The top two non-qualified finishers from each of the 150-milers will also start in the 500.

Among the 18 drivers who failed to clinch starting spots Sunday were Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr., Earnhardt's half-brother Kerry Earnhardt, Robby Gordon and former Daytona winner Derrike Cope.