Daytona 500 qualifying: They said it

Notable quotes from Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, where Jimmie Johnson won the pole:


"I don't think so. I think we're one of them."

Jimmie Johnson, after winning the Daytona 500 pole, on whether he's the favorite to win next week


"I know it's there, but I don't see it. ... Everybody's still speaking to me."

Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, on whether he feels an resentment in the garage over his recent run of success in the Cup Series


"They woke up knowing what they were going to be doing next Sunday. I woke up in a fog."

Michael Waltrip, who qualified 2nd for the Daytona 500, on why his qualifying effort was more significant than Johnson's


"You look at Tiger Woods or Arnold Palmer or Mohammed Ali; they helped build sports and carry sports. And I think you've got to have a superstar or a couple of superstars. ... You've got to have something to keep the fans excited and say, 'Hey, this is my man,' you know."

Richard Childress, on whether or not it's too much to expect Dale Earnhardt Jr. to carry the NASCAR torch


"Yeah, he's that good here. He's just like his dad was. He's really good on this race track and he put the thing in the right place and had his car in position to win in the end."

Childress, comparing Earnhardt Jr.'s success at Daytona to his late father's success on the same track