DOVER, Del. -- Jimmie Johnson scored his first career pole at Dover International Speedway on Friday, bumping Juan Pablo Montoya out of the top spot.

Johnson was nearly 1 mph faster than Montoya. Johnson toured the 1-mile track at 154.765 mph. Montoya's top lap was 153.833 mph.

Johnson's pole allows him to pick pit stalls first. He'll choose the pit stall at the end of pit road, allowing him to exit without a car in front of him.

"The thing I'm most excited for is that first pit stall," Johnson said of the pole.

"You take a lot of risks on pit road here every time you're in and off pit road. I got hit here trying to leave my stall in the spring race and it did some damage. We spent most of the day just trying to recover from the damage on the car and trying to get that right. Hopefully with this first pit stall, we'll be able to avoid any of that stuff."

Following Johnson and Montoya is Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. Clint Bowyer, who won last week's Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire, was the slowest of 49 cars that attempted to qualify.

He'll start 42nd.

Former Indianapolis 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr. failed for the second consecutive week to make his Cup debut for Penske Racing.

Early departure

Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. will leave Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team after Talladega next month and join Hendrick Motorsports. Eury will begin work at Hendrick on the cars Earnhardt will race next season.

Tony Gibson is expected to take Eury's spot for the rest of the season. Gibson served as Earnhardt's crew chief this summer when NASCAR suspended Eury after a rules violation.

"Half of me wants him to stay and finish the season out because I want a great opportunity to win races this year," Earnhardt said. "It gives Tony Jr. the chance to ... get the (Hendrick) team in the direction he personally thinks it needs to be going in."

Time to go

Car owner Robert Yates spoke for the first time publicly Friday since issuing a statement two weeks ago that he would retire after this season and hand ownership of the team to his son, Doug.

"I don't think people realize I never got into this sport to be an owner," Robert Yates said.

He said he'd had enough and that's why he dissolved a merger with the Champ Car team Newman/Haas/Lanigan.

"If I was 50-percent owner with the Lanigan Haas guys, I would have more responsibility that I really would want to handle," Yates said. "And I've gotten to a point where I'm going to find something that I can excel and enjoy on a daily basis."

Spencer remembered

G.C. Spencer, a former NASCAR driver and owner, died Thursday. He was 82.

The Owensboro, Ky., native made his NASCAR debut in 1958 and competed in 415 races before retiring in 1977.

Nothing to day

Reports state that Kyle Busch will be sponsored by M&M's next season at Joe Gibbs Racing. Busch, who prematurely announced that Gibbs was switching to Toyota for next season, had little to say about this.

"JD [Gibbs] never called and told me anything, so I don't have anything to announce," said Busch, referring to the team's president. "I wish maybe he would have given me a better heads-up so I would have more for you."

Return soon

Ricky Rudd was a spectator Friday as doctors have not yet cleared him to race. He could return next week at Kansas.

Pit stops

Officials with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing are finalizing their Cup sponsor and driver lineup for next season. More than one driver will race the No. 21 car. Jon Wood appears set to compete in races with Air Force as sponsor. ... JGR driver Joey Logano, 17, won the Busch East series.

The Associated Press contributed to this report