Long Pond, Pa. ? Sometimes, Jimmie Johnson lets his mind drift to how he could be building on his Nextel Cup points lead, not worrying about fighting for it over the last 10 races.

If Johnson had a 165-point lead over the next driver in previous years, he would have been in a very promising position for his first NASCAR championship. Instead, NASCAR’s new 10-race “Chase for the Championship,” will lump him in without much of an edge with nine other drivers.

“Sitting here complaining too much about it isn’t going to do me a lot of good,” Johnson said Saturday after practice was rained out at Pocono Raceway. “It’s the same for everyone and it’s time to get to work.”

Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports team have made this season look easy and they’ll try to build on it in today’s Pennsylvania 500 on the same track where Johnson won seven weeks ago.

Johnson has three wins and finished second four other times to put some distance between him and second-place Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Jeff Gordon, the only driver close to outperforming Johnson the last six weeks, is third. Normally, Gordon would have struggled to gain ground the rest of the season on Johnson, his teammate at Hendrick Motorsports. Not with the new reset system.

Kanaan captures pole at Michigan Speedway

Brooklyn, Mich. — Tony Kanaan won the pole for the Michigan Indy 400 with a fast lap of 215.871 mph at the D-shaped, two-mile oval at Michigan International Speedway.

It was the first pole of the season for Kanaan, who has finished in the top 10 in all nine races. He leads the points standings with 357. Buddy Rice, who will start sixth today, is second with 293.

Kosuke Matsuura will start alongside Kanaan in the front row after a lap of 214.718.

Helio Castroneves had qualified second at 214.925, but he was moved to the back of the 22-car field because he will replace his Toyota engine for the race. Scott Dixon will start third and Sam Hornish Jr. fourth.

Kvapil wins first race in NASCAR truck series

Brooklyn, Mich. — Travis Kvapil moved into the lead with 17 laps remaining and held on for his first victory in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season at Michigan International Speedway.

Kvapil finished ahead of Ted Musgrave in the Line-X Spray-On Truck Bedliners 200, surging into the lead coming off a caution in the 100-lap race.

The victory capped a wild weekend for Kvapil, who started 30th in the 34-car field after he changed engines.

Hemphill triumphs in return to home state

Long Pond, Pa. — Ryan Hemphill made his return to his home state a triumphant one, winning the 80-lap ARCA Giant 200 at Pocono Raceway.

Hemphill, of Apollo, Pa., led the last 16 laps and won by 2 minutes, 49 seconds over Frank Kimmel. Bobby Gerhart was third.

Hemphill needed only one pit stop for his sixth career victory.

“I told my crew I did not want to run out of gas,” he said. “We knew we were going to be very, very close making it one stop.”

Biffle goes from last to first in Busch victory

Fountain, Colo. — Greg Biffle made fast work of the Salute to the Troops 250.

Racing in both Colorado and Pennsylvania this weekend, Biffle went from last to first at Pikes Peak to win his fourth Busch Series race of the season.

Biffle, driving full-time on both the Busch and Nextel Cup series, started at the back of the field because he did not qualify his car for the Busch Series race because of the Nextel Cup event in the Poconos.

Stacy Compton finished second, followed by Jason Leffler, Clint Bowyer and series points leader Martin Truex Jr.

Kyle Busch, second in the season standings, was 17th, leaving him 142 points behind Martin Truex.