Late qualifier Denny Hamlin was the only driver between Ryan Newman and a record eighth pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Quaker State Motor Oil, which has been under the hood of Hendrick Motorsports cars since 1996, will be on top of a hood for four races next year.

Rick Hendrick has made a crew chief change before when one of his drivers has failed to qualify for NASCAR's season-ending Chase. But right now, the car owner said Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Lance McGrew will remain together on the No. 88 team.

Atlanta Motor Speedway has always had a reputation for being tough on tires, and that should hold true again in Sunday night's Emory Healthcare 500. But factor in a different tire composition for this weekend -- and practice and qualifying during the day -- and teams find themselves having to make their best guesses at the correct setup.