Two-time defending champ hopes to solve the big oval tracks

FONTANA, Calif. -- Aiming to build some momentum heading into NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, Jimmie Johnson got off to a good start Friday, winning the pole at Auto Club Speedway.

[+] Enlarge

Jason Smith/Getty Images

Jimmie Johnson claimed his fourth pole of the season at California, and hopes it's a momentum boost going into the Chase.

The two-time reigning Cup champion was easily the fastest driver on the 2-mile oval in qualifying for Sunday's Pepsi 500, turning a fast lap of 180.397 mph.

"I'm really very proud of that lap," said Johnson, the defending race winner.

For much of the session, it appeared that the front row would be all Hendrick Motorsports, with Jeff Gordon sitting in the second spot with a lap of 179.565. But A.J. Allmendinger, one of nine drivers who had to qualify on speed, elbowed his way between the teammates with a lap of 179.659.

Kasey Kahne was fourth at 179.158, followed by Gillett Evernham Motorsports teammates Patrick Carpentier at 178.860 and Elliott Sadler at 178.492. Rounding out the top 10 were Martin Truex Jr. at 178.434, Dave Blaney at 178.381, Kurt Busch at 178.165 and rookie Aric Almirola at 178.134.

For Johnson, it was his first pole at the Southern California track, but the series-leading fourth of the season and the 17th of his career.

Heading into the penultimate race of the "regular season," Johnson is fourth in the season points. But, based on his two victories this year, he currently would be the third seed in the Chase, trailing only eight-time winner Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards, a six-time winner this season.

And Busch and Edwards have been the story lately, with Edwards winning three of the last four races and Busch turning in a win and a pair of runner-up finishes during the same span.

Johnson knows he has a lot of work to do if he is going to beat those two hot drivers once the Chase gets going. And a win here on Sunday would be a great way to gain some momentum.

"Yeah, it would mean a lot for us to win on a big track like this," Johnson said before his qualifying run. "Mile and a half and above tracks and downforce tracks have been kind of our weak spot.

"We've been making a lot of gains. Hopefully, we made some gains that will help us this weekend and moving into the Chase."