Concord, N.C. ? The assault on NASCAR from the twentysomething drivers hasn’t abated, with rookie Jimmie Johnson setting an event record Thursday in winning the pole for the Coca-Cola 600.

Johnson ran a fast-lap around Lowe’s Motor Speedway at 186.464 mph, beating the mark of 186.034 set by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2000. It was the third pole of Johnson’s marvelous season he’s already earned his first career victory and is seventh in the points standings.

Jimmie Johnson, left, is congratulated by car owner and fellow driver Jeff Gordon. Johnson won the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 Thursday at Concord, N.C., with a speed of 186.464. The NASCAR Winston Cup race is Sunday.

The success is starting to sink in for the 26-year-old rookie, who is a protege of four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon and races for him at Hendrick Motorsports.

“I guess it’s a reality, this stuff keeps happening to us,” he said. “I just smile every time I get into a race car. The guys at the shop give me really, really good equipment and help make this possible.”

His effort marked a homecoming of sorts for Johnson, who is sponsored by Lowe’s and won the pole at the home improvement store’s namesake track. He also made his Winston Cup debut at this track last October.

“To come to our home track and carry the banner is pretty neat,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s pole-winning effort came on the heels of fellow rookie Ryan Newman’s victory here last week in NASCAR’s all-star race.

Competitors under the age of 30 have won four races while Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart, at 30 and 31 years old, have combined to win four races.

Elliott Sadler, 27, qualified second and Ricky Craven, who turns 36 today, will start third in the longest race of the season.

“When did I make the transition from young guy to old veteran? You guys have to find a middle group to put me in,” Craven joked. “But there are a group of youngsters who have bolted out of the gate … these guys are blistering. I’m not concerned about it. I think there is a balance and things even out because there is no substitute for experience.”

Experience wasn’t a factor Thursday, when the weather was supposed to help even out the field during qualifying.

Johnson was not expected to win the pole because he ran his qualifying lap under the sun when track temperatures were hot. In theory, the cars that went out later in the day were expected to be faster.

They came close Sadler ran his lap at 186.425 mph to nearly bump Johnson from the top spot. But Sadler had to settle for the outside of the front row and lamented missing out on the first pole of his career.

“I feel like I could throw up right now, to be honest with you,” Sadler said.

Newman, who holds the overall track record at Lowe’s of 186.780 mph in an ARCA car, qualified fourth. He won the pole here last year when he was making a spot start in the field to gain experience.

Bill Elliott qualified fifth, Earnhardt Jr. was sixth and was followed by Jerry Nadeau, last year’s race winner Jeff Burton, Ken Schrader and Stewart.