Jamie McMurray won the Coors Light pole award for Saturday night’s Showtime Southern 500, while Dale Jr. had to go to his back-up.

photo credit: Tom Whitmore/Getty Images for NASCAR

McMurray’s qualifying lap of 180.370 mph set a new track record besting the record Matt Kenseth set last year with a speed of 179.514 mph. It’s the second pole this season in 10 races and 5th career for McMurray.

“I was like grinning in the car because you just don’t get to have this kind of lap very often,” McMurray said.

Jeff Gordon will start beside McMurray on the front row.

For the starting line-up, click here (nascar.com)

Counting “Darlington Stripes” should keep us busy over the weekend. Many drivers scraped the wall during today’s practice sessions including Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jamie McMurray, Travis Kvapil and Dale Earnhardt Jr. During the first cup practice session early Friday, Earnhardt smacked the wall on just his second lap around the track. His team brought out their back-up immediately which Dale also ran into the wall with less than 15 minutes remaining in the 90 minute session. There was no major damage the second time around.

“I’ll probably hit it a bunch more before the weekend is over with,” Earnhardt said. “I don’t know man, this place is probably the catalyst for my retirement one day. I’ll probably come here when I’m 45 and run a race and say, ‘The hell with it.”’

Photo Credit: David Yeazell

Clint Bowyer also had to go to a back-up after hitting the wall as well as Scott Speed.

First Practice Speeds:

1.  AJ Allmendinger, 173.271 mph
2.  Dave Blaney, 173.185 mph
3.  Mike Bliss, 172.954 mph
4.  Michael McDowell, 172.681 mph
5.  Denny Hamlin 172.566 mph

During Happy Hour (final) practice, there were a few more Lady in Black victims. Greg Biffle, Casey Mears, Marcos Ambrose, Kurt Busch and Joe Nemechek all hit the wall and will go to their back-up car. Kyle Busch also bounced his ride off the wall, but the team will try to repair it before deciding to go to the back-up.

Happy Hour Practice Speeds:

1.   Jamie McMurray, 178.064 mph
2.   Denny Hamlin, 177.243 mph
3.   Kurt Busch, 177.039 mph
4.   Ryan Newman, 176.835 mph
5.  Juan Pablo Montoya, 176.790 mph

TV coverage of the Showtime Southern 500 begins at 7 tomorrow night on FOX.