CONCORD, N.C. -- Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team pit crew combined to put together one of the five fastest times on the track.
Qualifying for Saturday night's All-Star Race featured a twist -- every car ran three timed laps, one of which included a four-tire pit stop with no pit-road speed limit.
Johnson was one of the five quickest drivers, advancing to the second round to determine positions one through five.
"At the end of the day, it's a lot of fun," Johnson said of the unique qualifying format. "You really get to push yourself in a way that you typically don't."
In the second round, he secured a fourth-place starting position after the No. 48 team was penalized for being over the wall too soon as Johnson overshot his pit stall.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. narrowly missed advancing to the second round and will start Saturday night's exhibition event in sixth.
Like Johnson in the second round, Kasey Kahne was one of a number of drivers to overshoot his pit stall during the stop with no speed limit in the first round, costing some time as he backed up into his box. He will roll off the grid 13th.
Chase Elliott will look to race his way into the All-Star Race during tomorrow evening's event, The Open. Qualifying for The Open takes place Saturday at 4:35 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. He could also be the beneficiary of the fan vote, with polls remaining open until 11:59 p.m. ET Friday night.
The All-Star Race is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday on FOX Sports 1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. For more on the new format for 2017, click here.