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McMurray grabs pole, spotlight

By John Oreovicz

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- There's always been the possibility that a driver not eligible for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup would steal the thunder from those running for the championship.

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For one day at Martinsville Speedway, that came true as Jamie McMurray claimed pole position for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing.

"It's not a big surprise to me," said McMurray, who also won the pole at Martinsville in 2011. "I'm totally OK with being in the shadow."

On Friday, he almost eclipsed the magic 100 mph mark at NASCAR's shortest track, clocking a lap of 99.905 mph in the No. 1 McDonald's Chevrolet. That edged Team Penske's Joey Logano (99.605 mph) and Joe Gibbs Racing's Matt Kenseth (99.318 mph) as all three manufacturers claimed a place in the top three on the grid.