Johnson, Waltrip On Front Row For 500

One driver picked up where he left off, the other turned over a new page.

Defending Champion Jimmie Johnson will sit on the pole for the 50th running of the Daytona 500, while Michael Waltrip will start second.

The rest of the field will be determined Thursday in the twin 150 Duels. The qualifying procedure for the "Great American Race" is complicated to say the least.

Johnson won ten races last year en route to winning the then Nextel Cup Championship, his second in a row.

In a contrast of stories, Michael Waltrip only made 14 races last year, as he struggled to balance his own racing schedule with that of his new Toyota self owned team.  The team also features Dale Jarrett (who is running a very limited schedule this year as he retires from the sport) and David Reutimann, who has shown promise finishing second on the then Busch series championship last season.

Reutimann ran fourth fastest in his qualifying attempt, while Jarrett ran 21st.

Speedweeks continues this Thursday with the twin deul 150's. These are used to sort out where everyone starts in the 500 (excluding the front row of course, who are locked in.)

The Deuls will be live on Speed beginning at 2 PM. 

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