Denny Hamlin shrugged off a poor day of practice then won the pole for the NASCAR Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on Friday.

It was Hamlin’s first pole of the year. He said: “It was a big pick up for us, [one that we] didn’t expect after how poorly we practices; we were at liberty to throw something at it, and we did.” Hamlin averaged 183.870 mph. “Truthfully, our [qualifying] set up was more like a race up.”

David Reutimann, who had qualified second, was disqualified in post-qualifying inspection for excessive gas pressure in the rear shocks.

Greg Biffle in a Roush Fenway Ford is consequently second. “I don’t know what we found. It was a good lap for us. We were definitely not that good in practice. I was little concerned about that because certainly Denny has laid down a huge lap.”

Jimmie Johnson (second in Cup points) was a favorite coming into the event; he was third fastest in a Chevrolet Friday.

A number of drivers hung it out brushing the outside wall like a Darlington stripe including Chasers Jeff Gordon, and Juan Pablo Montoya (who qualified fourth).

Montoya’s car suffered superficial damage on the right rear; team members said they would be able to get his car repaired in time.

Mark Martin, the series points leader, will start ninth. Last week’s winner, Tony Stewart, who is fourth in the Chase, will start 20th.