With the American auto industry struggling these days, a trip by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to the Michigan International Speedway could be the best way to showcase Ford, Dodge and GM products in front of the hometown crowd. Unfortunately, it was Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch in their Toyota Camrys that swept the front row for Sunday's LifeLock 400 and stole Friday's qualifying show.

Forty-four cars took time Friday afternoon with forty of them running in the 38-second bracket. Vickers was able to put his foot to the floor on his lap around the 2-mile D-shaped oval to score his second pole at Michigan with a lap of 38.073 seconds at a speed of 189.110 mph.

“It was a really good lap -- it was faster than we put down last year and I didn’t think we were going to be able to beat what we ran last year," Vickers said after he pole-winning run. "Last year, was probably even a little better lap. I was really happy with the car in practice. The guys did a tremendous job. We went to go get a little more out of it and made it better on the exit, which made it better off (the corner). I don’t know if we hurt the center a little bit. I got a little tight in the center of (turns) one and two when I got back in the gas. I don’t think it hurt us too much. I was able to get wide open and stay in it.”

Kyle Busch put his No. 18 M&M's Toyota Camry on the outside of the front row thanks to a lap of 38.189 seconds at 188.536 mph. The strong qualifying run was about a tenth off Vicker's pole run, but gave Busch his eleventh top-10 start of the 2009 season.

“It wasn’t bad," Busch said of the lap. "Actually, I thought it was a pretty good lap. Figured it would get beat, but not by what it got beat by. Myself and Jimmie (Johnson) ran relatively close lap times and (Brian) Vickers was up about a tenth from me. A tenth at a place like this, with these cars, is a lot. Not sure where (Brian) Vickers got that, but a good lap from him and his team. Felt like the M&M’s Toyota was good when we unloaded here -- felt like it had good grip. The best we’ve unloaded at this place in a while, so we’re excited about that. Hopefully, tomorrow in Happy Hour we can work on it a little bit and just try to get a little more longevity out of it for the long run.”

Jimmie Johnson posted the fastest time of any U.S. manufacture by putting his No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet in the third-spot. The driver that was fastest in the day's opening practice was able to score the third with a lap of 38.237 seconds at a speed of 188.299 mph.

It wasn't a bad lap at all. I really have to thank these guys for working so hard on this Lowe's Impala," Johnson explained. "The car was better than what the driver did. I made a small mistake out there that cost us some time. I just kind of guessed wrong on the grip level going in to one.  I just got in there a little too soft and knew I was behind so I went down in to turn three and tried to make up the time and I feel like I gave some back. I just kind of over adjusted. I will just have to make it up to them on Sunday."

David Reutimann continued to show his strength by running a lap good enough for the fourth starting spot. The Charlotte winner ran a fast-lap of 38.270 seconds at a speed of 188.137 mph. The Michael Waltrip racing driver made contact with the wall in Friday's opening practice session, but did not let that slow him down on his qualifying run.

“It drove pretty well, especially from the way our practice went," Reutimann admitted. "We lost a lot of practice due to the contact with the fence there. So, my guys did a good job to bounce back and did a really good job of getting us back on track. Hopefully, that will stay in the top-five and give us a good pit selection, and we'll have a good Sunday.”

Penske Racing's Kurt Busch was able to round out the top-5 with a lap of 38.308 seconds at a lap of 187.950. Mike Skinner was the only car that failed to make the show in the No. 36 Tommy Baldwin-owned Toyota.

LIFELOCK 400 QUALIFYING RESULTS

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