Tonight at 6:00 p.m. ET, one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR history, Jimmie Johnson, will begin the Coca Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway in pole position. Watch the race on Fox, or live stream the high-speed action for free by clicking this link.
Johnson has 66 career victories under his belt, but has found the new qualifying system somewhat difficult to conquer. This week's pole victory is his first of the year, and he has yet to win a race in 2014.
"It certainly shows that we're going to be strong this weekend," Johnson said. "I don't know that it sends the same message that winning two or three races will send. But I would love to rattle off two or three wins and have people fear the No. 48 as they have in the past. I don't think a pole position does that to the garage area, but you have to start somewhere."
Johnson's lack of victory laps this year has been startling, and delighted some looking for a fresh face at the front of the pack. That hasn't gotten to him though, as he is able to shrug off his doubters.
"I think there are some people getting satisfaction out of it," Johnson said. "But if I win, I win too much. If I don't win, they say you aren't winning enough. So it doesn't matter what I do, I can't win."
The man who finished behind Johnson, Brad Keselowski, is someone who has become something like a master at the new qualifying format. He and Joey Logano have excelled, with Keselowski taking second six times.
"It's like kissing your sister," Keselowski said. "The great thing about the new qualifying sessions is there are multiple opportunities to get it right and that is a good thing. That is why it is so much fun."
| POS | DRIVER | MANUFACTURER | CAR | SPEED |
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 194.911 mph | |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | Ford | 194.567 mph | |
| 3 | Kasey Kahne | Chevrolet | 193.618 mph | |
| 4 | Danica Patrick | Chevrolet | 193.334 mph | |
| 5 | Clint Bowyer | Toyota | 193.244 mph | |
| 6 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 193.119 mph | |
| 7 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 193.092 mph | |
| 8 | Joey Logano | Ford | 192.472 mph | |
| 9 | Marcos Ambrose | Ford | 191.673 mph | |
| 10 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | 191.272 mph | |
| 11 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | 193.959 mph | |
| 12 | Matt Kenseth | Toyota | 192.898 mph | |
| 13 | Aric Almirola | Ford | 192.692 mph | |
| 14 | Trevor Bayne | Ford | 192.486 mph | |
| 15 | Martin Truex Jr. | Chevrolet | 192.438 mph | |
| 16 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | 192.027 mph | |
| 17 | Justin Allgaier | Chevrolet | 191.945 mph | |
| 18 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | 191.925 mph | |
| 19 | Brian Scott | Chevrolet | 191.884 mph | |
| 20 | AJ Allmendinger | Chevrolet | 191.829 mph | |
| 21 | Paul Menard | Chevrolet | 191.707 mph | |
| 22 | Carl Edwards | Ford | 189.980 mph | |
| 23 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Ford | 189.208 mph | |
| 24 | Greg Biffle | Ford | 184.344 mph | |
| 25 | Kyle Larson | Chevrolet | 190.840 mph | |
| 26 | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | 190.255 mph | |
| 27 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 189.673 mph | |
| 28 | Kurt Busch | Chevrolet | 189.553 mph | |
| 29 | Alex Bowman | Toyota | 189.514 mph | |
| 30 | Michael McDowell | Ford | 189.148 mph | |
| 31 | Cole Whitt | Toyota | 189.115 mph | |
| 32 | Austin Dillon | Chevrolet | 189.062 mph | |
| 33 | David Gilliland | Ford | 188.732 mph | |
| 34 | Casey Mears | Chevrolet | 188.534 mph | |
| 35 | David Ragan | Ford | 188.455 mph | |
| 36 | Ryan Truex | Toyota | 188.422 mph | |
| 37 | Josh Wise | Chevrolet | 188.258 mph | |
| 38 | Joe Nemechek | Toyota | 187.963 mph | |
| 39 | Michael Annett | Chevrolet | 187.807 mph | |
| 40 | Landon Cassill | Chevrolet | 187.559 mph | |
| 41 | Reed Sorenson | Chevrolet | 187.208 mph | |
| 42 | Ryan Newman | Chevrolet | 186.890 mph | |
| 43 | Blake Koch | Ford | 185.931 mph |
Grid courtesy of ESPN
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