Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Hendrick Motorsports stalwarts Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson will start at the back of the field in the Pure Michigan 400 on Sunday.
Earnhardt had to switch to his backup car after a spin and wreck in Turn 2 during NASCAR Sprint Cup practice Saturday morning at Michigan International Speedway.
Johnson's crew changed engines in the No. 48 Chevrolet.
Sam Hornish Jr. also will start at the back of the field because he did not practice in or qualify the No. 22 Dodge.
Practice and qualifying were handled by Parker Kligerman while Hornish competed in a NASCAR Nationwide race in Montreal.
Johnson (No. 48 Chevrolet) is first in driver points and Earnhardt (No. 88 Chevrolet) is fourth.
Earnhardt won the June race at MIS.

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Carl Edwards says he had "Mark Martin toys" when he was youngster.
Edwards still marvels at what the 53-year-old Martin does on the race track.
Martin, a five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup winner at Michigan International Speedway, won his first pole position at the track Friday. The Arkansas native's No. 55 Toyota turned a qualifying lap of 199.706 mph.

Mark Martin

Edwards qualified second and Jimmie Johnson third for the Pure Michigan 400, a 200-lap race that will be Sunday.
Martin's fourth pole of 2012 gave him 55 in 845 career races.
"He's living the dream, being able to pick and choose which races he runs," Edwards said. "It's pretty amazing. He's an inspiration for me as to how well you can do in this sport for so long.
"I had Mark Martin toys as a kid. There are generations of people who've all had Mark Martin toys. Who knows? My kids might some day be racing against the guy, and be just as frustrated as me."
Martin did not compete in five of the previous seven races, including the one at Watkins Glen last week.

“It’s great when you  drive a race car like that, where you have the fastest car for the day,” Martin said.

“I feel a little bit of the magic I felt in 2009.”

While driving for Hendrick Motorsports in 2009, Martin entered the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship in first place in points.

Martin has 40 career wins.

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