Notes: Huffman paying tribute to fallen Angel

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- A special Blue Angels decal has replaced Shane Huffman's name above the door of the No. 88 Chevrolet this weekend as a tribute to pilot Lt. Cmdr. Kevin "Kojak" Davis.

Davis, a member of the Blue Angels, was killed when his F/A-18 Hornet crashed during an air show at Beaufort, S.C., last weekend. Huffman, who is sponsored by the U.S. Navy, was introduced to Davis earlier this year.

Aaron's 312

Lineup

Pos.	Driver	Speed
1.	Brad Coleman	184.299
2.	Dave Blaney	184.062
3.	Jason Leffler	183.934
4.	Casey Mears	183.691
5.	Ward Burton	183.434
6.	Clint Bowyer	183.332
7.	David Ragan	183.157
8.	Danny O'Quinn Jr.	183.154
9.	Carl Edwards	183.073
10.	Jamie McMurray	183.010

• Complete Lineup: cick here

"The thoughts and prayers of everyone at JR Motorsports are with Kojak's friends and family," Huffman said. "I had the opportunity to meet him when I flew with the Blue Angels back in February, and [Dale Earnhardt Jr.] met him the year before, so his death hit us hard.

"I wanted to do something to honor our fallen friend, and this just seemed like the right thing to do."

The drive for five
When rookie Brad Coleman captured the Busch Pole for Saturday's Aaron's 312 at Talladega Superspeedway, it marked the fifth consecutive pole on restrictor-plate tracks for the No. 18 Chevrolet.

"This is actually a brand-new car," Coleman said. "Obviously, it's fantastic. We'll see what it's like [Saturday]."

Coleman said he's racing with a heavy heart this weekend, as his grandfather died earlier this week.

"I've got to dedicate [the pole] to him," Coleman said. "I definitely had a guardian angel [Friday], pushing me from behind."

Aric Almirola won the pole in the No. 18 Chevy at Daytona earlier this season, while J.J. Yeley drove the No. 18 to three poles in 2005 -- two at Daytona and one at Talladega.

However, the best finish in any of those previous four front-row rides was a fourth by Yeley at Daytona last July. (Continued)