Chasers will have to charge toward front at Talladega

Qualifying for the UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, given the Car of Tomorrow and its effect on the pack mentality of restrictor-plate racing, is merely a formality.

As Jeff Gordon, second in points, said, Saturday "was all about the guys outside the top 35 in points."

That's the way it turned out, as 13 of the top 15 cars in qualifying were go-or-go-home cars. Only eight made it, with the other five losing out. The top eight includes rookie Jacques Villeneuve.

The first top-35 car on the grid will be Bobby Labonte in eight, and the first Chaser was Tony Stewart in 11th.

Sunday's race is an impound race, so the go-or-go-home drivers had qualifying setups in, which means they'll likely be heading for the rear of the field once the green flag waves. The Chasers will be headed forward. Six will start 25th or worse and four -- Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch -- needed owner points to get in.

Traditionally, the Big One rarely happens at the front of the field, but it just might on Sunday -- and an early crash would mean the Chasers would likely be piling in from behind.

Stewart led both practices on Friday at better than 194 mph. On Saturday, he qualified at 51.193 seconds, 187.057 mph, the only Chase driver to top 187 mph. Pole-sitter Michael Waltrip led the way at better than 189 mph.

"We didn't make any qualifying runs [Friday]," Stewart said. "We'll start where we start."

Where he starts is usually about 17th; where he finishes is usually second. Stewart has six runner-up finishes at Talladega in his 17 starts, to go with two other top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. His 12.9 finishing average is second in the Chase.

Martin Truex Jr., who wound up 13th on the grid, has one more DNF (three) than he does top-five finishes (two) in five starts, but when he finishes, he's usually at the front. He was fifth in this race last year, and he averages 20.0 per finish. He posted a lap at 51.259 seconds, 186.816 mph.

Denny Hamlin is looking for something positive this weekend after two consecutive disappointing outings. His lap at 51.428 seconds, 186.202 mph, good for 18th, was a step in the right direction, anything to help him improve on his finishing average of 21.3. In two of his three starts, Hamlin has finished 21st, and that's his best effort so far.

Jimmie Johnson is one of just two Talladega winners in the field, the other being his teammate Gordon. Johnson is a qualifying beast at Talladega, averaging 7.0 for his 11 starts, and his finishes haven't been too bad, either, averaging 19.3 (seventh among the Chasers). He has a pole, a victory, three top-five and four top-10 finishes at Talladega, and was in position to have won this race last year when he was hit from behind by Brian Vickers. Johnson's lap at 51.447 seconds, 186.133 mph put him 19th on the grid. (Continued)