The day started off on a bit of a somber note at Dover International Speedway. There was violence overnight at Delaware State University, directly across the street from the track, in which two college students were shot and seriously wounded. The campus was under lockdown for several hours, but fortunately classes resumed after two suspects were taken into custody and the incident had no direct effect on Friday's events at the race track.

There were no particular weather concerns Friday morning, with practice kicking off under bright sunny skies and moderate temperatures. Given Dover's concrete surface, the track is not as sensitive to subtle changes in weather conditions like a typical asphalt track would be.

Dover is the 13th of 16 Car of Tomorrow races and the second straight COT event in the Chase. As has been the norm, many drivers at Dover are expressing concern about not being able to roll through the corners the way they would like to, and passing will be at a premium Sunday, making starting position a critical factor in race success.

Hendrick Motor Sports driver Jimmie Johnson, currently tied for first in points with teammate Jeff Gordon, led the morning practice session with a speed of 153.695 mph and a lap time of 23.423. There were only four Chase drivers in the top 10 in first practice, including Denny Hamlin (2nd), Martin Truex (4th), and Jeff Gordon (10th). A few surprises in the top-five were Tony Raines in third and rookie Juan Pablo Montoya in fifth.

All three of Richard Childress Racing's Chase contenders were mid-pack in first practice speeds, with Clint Bowyer in 21st, Jeff Burton in 24th, and Kevin Harvick the slowest of all 12 Chase drivers at 28th.

Jimmie Johnson looks like he may have the car to beat this weekend at Dover. Johnson was able to carry over his practice-leading efforts to Cup qualifying, taking the pole with a lap speed of 154.766 miles per hour and a time of 23.261, 16/100ths faster than his morning practice lap. It is Johnson's second pole of the season, having achieved his first just two weeks ago at Richmond. The pole position will afford an extra bonus to the 48 team this weekend by providing them with first pit selection, which is critical at Dover due to the narrow and tricky pit road that has created problems in the past for even the most experienced racers. Though Johnson finished 15th at Dover in June, the 48 team appears to have overcome a summer slump and now has momentum on its side. At print time, Johnson is considered a favorite, tied with Tony Stewart at +500.

Juan Pablo Montoya scored the outside pole, demonstrating that his morning practice time was not a fluke. Montoya's qualifying lap was -0.141 seconds off Johnson's pace. The Cup rookie did not have a good run at Dover in June, finishing 31st from a 16th-place start, but Montoya is working hard to stay ahead of fellow rookie David Ragan in points for Rookie of the Year honors. Ragan has closed the gap over the past several week and trails Montoya by just 36 points heading into Dover.

Last week's race winner Clint Bowyer had the most surprising qualifying run of the entire field, but not in a good way. Bowyer's car was extremely loose and his lap time of 24.318 puts him way deep in the starting grid. Bowyer rolls off 42nd on Sunday, followed only by go-or-go-homer Michael Waltrip. Greg Biffle also had a loose car in practice, spinning at the start of his second qualifying lap. But Biffle, who has one win and five top-10s in 10 Cup starts at Dover, kept the car off the wall and qualified ninth overall.

Martin Truex, currently at +680, is considered a favorite of pundits this weekend because of his dominating performance at Dover in June, where he led 216 of 400 laps and notched his first Cup win from a 26th-place starting spot. Qualifying fifth today, Truex looks like a strong pick for Sunday's race. Behind Johnson and Montoya on the front row, the drivers rounding out the top five are Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, and Truex Jr. Bobby Labonte, mentioned as a possible dark horse pick in our race preview, was impressive in qualifying with an eighth-place run. And Kevin Harvick, currently a +1400 pick, improved considerably from his morning practice of 28th, qualifying seventh with a 23.548 lap time.

Overall, there are four Chevy's in the top ten along with four Dodges and two Fords. A.J. Allmendinger had a noteworthy qualifying effort, putting his Toyota just outside the top ten in 11th. Two powerhouse GM drivers, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, roll off side-by-side Sunday from row 14, and both will likely move to the front in short order.

In other qualifying news, Michael Waltrip Racing has all three cars in the field this Sunday, though the following drivers outside the top 35 did not make the field: Sam Hornish, Jr., Kevin LePage, Dave Blaney, Jeremy Mayfield, and Ward Burton.