Johnson wins pole for Chase opener
/ NBC25
(AP) -- Jimmie Johnson has won the pole for the Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway - an impressive start for the five-time champion whose streak of Cup titles came to an end last year.
The 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup begins with Sunday's 400-mile race. Johnson's run of five straight championships was snapped last season, when Tony Stewart took the title.
Johnson will start from the front after winning his second pole of the year and 27th of his career. The other 11 drivers in the Chase had mixed results in qualifying. Matt Kenseth was third, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was fourth and Kasey Kahne was sixth - but Earnhardt will have to start from the back because of an engine change.
(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
