"We've been telling everybody for a while that we've got a lot of speed, and it's nice to have all four cars showing it," Johnson said.
Johnson ignited Hendrick's recent resurgence with a dominant victory May 12 in Darlington, S.C., followed by his all-star race win in Charlotte on May 19. The five-time champion has risen to fifth in the driver standings.
Earnhardt Jr., who is fourth in points, has been the model of consistency as the lone driver in the series to finish all 12 races on the lead lap. Kahne, 42 points out of a playoff berth, has finished no worse than eighth over his last six starts, and Gordon is eager to seize any bit of momentum that will vault him back into contention from 22d with 14 races remaining in the regular season.
"We are running good enough to certainly be in the top 10 in points," said Gordon, a four-time winner here.
The quartet will join 41 other drivers for Saturday's Sprint Cup qualifying, scheduled to begin at 12:10 p.m.
Fast healer
Ryan Truex believes that he has something to prove every time he climbs into a race car.
When you're 20 years old and trying to establish yourself in NASCAR's top developmental series while running a limited schedule, you savor every opportunity to show your mettle.
So on Friday, 10 days after he underwent an emergency appendectomy and less than 48 hours after he was granted medical clearance to strap himself back into the driver's seat, Truex proved that he can go fast - climbing to third on the Nationwide Series final practice speed charts at 153.853 m.p.h.
The chance to pilot the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in Saturday's 5-hour Energy 200 at the Monster Mile is especially important to the New Jersey native, whose hometown of Mayetta is an hour and a half drive up the coast in Ocean County.
And he was determined not to turn over the steering wheel to a relief driver, even if the designated substitute is his older brother, Sprint Cup Series veteran Martin Truex Jr.
"I knew if he got in the car he'd win, and he's already won here in a Nationwide car. It's my turn," Ryan said with a laugh.
No one knows how the younger Truex will fare in his fifth start of the season, considering that his most significant previous surgery was to repair a non-racing wrist injury. But the stitches are gone, the scar is healing, and a couple of days of bed rest have provided the proper tonic.
"When I was laying in the hospital bed last week, I thought there was no way I'd be able to race at Dover," Truex said. "Now I'm pretty much back to 100 percent. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but I'm pretty sure I'll be all right."
Truck series
Todd Bodine recovered from a spinout on Lap 68 to win the crash-marred Lucas Oil 200, which was shortened 53 miles because of rain and fading light.
