#10 Valvoline Pontiac driver Johnny Benson isn't thrilled with his 24th-place starting spot for Sunday's 500-mile race in Pocono, Pa.

But he's more optimistic than you would expect. Benson has been getting faster and faster in practice and qualifying.

"We have picked up three-tenths since we started practice and we have some more ideas for tomorrow's practice," said Benson who posted a fifth-place finish in Dover last weekend. "It seems like we say this every weekend but this car will race better than it qualified. Last we week started 30th and ended up pretty decent and I have no doubt we can do it again this weekend."

Benson and his crew chief James Ince brought a new Pontiac to the 2.5-oval.

They will practice in two 45-minutes sessions on Saturday morning. Naturally, rain is in the forecast.

Jimmie Johnson won the pole and will be flanked on the front row by Ryan Newman.

Qualifying Results
Driver/MPH

1 Jimmie Johnson 170.645
2 Ryan Newman 170.513
3 Bobby Labonte 170.309
4 Tony Stewart 170.203
5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 170.152
6 Mark Martin 169.997
7 Dale Jarrett 169.728
8 Bill Elliott 169.658
9 Elliott Sadler 169.616
10 Kurt Busch 169.559
11 Terry Labonte 169.472
12 Jeff Gordon 169.450
13 Michael Waltrip 169.447
14 Todd Bodine 169.348
15 Joe Nemechek 169.316
16 Jeff Burton 169.313
17 Ward Burton 169.040
18 Jack Sprague* 168.833
19 Casey Mears* 168.682
20 Kevin Harvick 168.634
21 John Andretti 168.271
22 Dave Blaney 168.231
23 Sterling Marlin 168.168
24 Johnny Benson 168.099
25 Matt Kenseth 168.092
26 Greg Biffle* 168.089
27 Rusty Wallace 168.017
28 Jamie McMurray* 167.873
29 Ricky Rudd 167.826
30 Jimmy Spencer 167.798
31 Mike Wallace 167.776
32 Ricky Craven 167.751
33 Jeremy Mayfield 167.713
34 Casey Atwood 167.573
35 Jeff Green 167.548
36 Steve Park 167.432
37 Robby Gordon 166.528
38 Kenny Wallace 167.308
39 Ken Schrader 166.316
40 Kyle Petty 166.945
41 Mike Skinner 166.759
42 Tony Raines* 166.973
43 Larry Foyt* 160.913
44 Derrike Cope 163.875
45 Morgan Shepherd 163.014