Chasers pack seven in top 15 in Texas Cup qualifying (cont'd)

Jimmie Johnson, just nine points behind Gordon heading into the Dickies 500, will start Sunday's event eighth after logging a lap at 28.115 seconds, 192.068 mph in the No. 48 Chevrolet.

Like Gordon, Johnson has yet to win at Texas, with his best finish a runner-up to Tony Stewart in last year's fall race. He has three top-five and six top-10 finishes in eight starts for an average finish of 10.3 (second-best in the Chase). He's led just three laps at Texas and crashed in the spring to finish 38th.

Stewart, who won this race last year in dominating fashion, landed 15th in the No. 20 Chevrolet at 28.224 seconds, 191.327 mph. Stewart, coming off a dismal run at Atlanta last week, led 278 of the 334 laps last year in the last of his three-victory closing barrage.

For his career, Stewart has the victory, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 11 starts, and he's led a Chase-best 453 laps at Texas. His average finish of 13.7 is seventh among the 12 Chasers.

Kyle Busch, who will be Stewart's teammate next season at Joe Gibbs Racing, put his No. 5 Chevrolet in the field 17th at 28.232 seconds, 191.272 mph. In five starts, the younger Busch brother has just one finish better than 15th (fourth in this race last year) to go with two finishes of 37th or worse. His average finish is a Chase-worst 23.4.

Kenseth has run consistently well at Texas over the years, as evidenced by his average finish of 11.0, and he put the No. 17 Ford in 18th with a lap at 28.244 seconds, 191.191 mph.

Kenseth won here in 2002, before the second race was added, and has four top-five and five top-10 finishes. He's led 330 laps at Texas.

Carl Edwards, fresh off a runner-up showing at Atlanta, wound up 21st in the No. 99 Ford after his lap at 28.275 seconds, 190.981 mph.

Edwards broke through to Victory Lane in just his second start at Texas back in 2005, but that's been about it for the Missouri driver. His best finish other than that triumph is 12th, earlier this year. He averages 16.6 per finish, 10th among the Chasers.

Jeff Burton, the only two-time winner at Texas after turning the trick earlier this year, hit 190.570 mph on his lap (28.300 seconds), and put the No. 31 Chevrolet in 27th. Burton, who along with Gordon, Dale Jarrett and Mark Martin are the only drivers to start all 13 races there, has the two victories, three top-fives and five top-10s, but his average finish is 17.8 -- next to last among Chase drivers.

Clint Bowyer, who trails Gordon by 115 points with three races left, brought up the rear in the Chase by qualifying his No. 07 Chevrolet 29th at 28.394 seconds, 190.181 mph.

In his three previous starts, Bowyer has a fifth-place effort in this race last year as his best result, and his average finish is sixth in the Chase at 13.3.

The majority of the Chase drivers picked up time from the first practice, with the notable exceptions being Bowyer and Kyle Busch. Edwards and Truex picked up the most, with Edwards lopping five-tenths of a second off his time and Truex nearly four-tenths of a second off his.

A little more than three-tenths of a second (.348 seconds) separate pole-sitter Truex from 29th-place Bowyer.