“Obviously, I can’t wait to get back into the No. 43,” Annett said. “It has been a long three months, and I am more than ready to jump back in the car. The accident at Daytona was disappointing for our team, but I’m very grateful for the amount of support I had from the team, NASCAR, family, friends and fans, and not to mention the outstanding medical team that helped me through all of this. Whit it was really hard to be on the sidelines, I realize that it was even more important to heal properly.”

During the time off, Annett underwent surgery for the injury. Meanwhile, Reed Sorenson filled in as driver of the No. 43 car. Sorenson’s best finish in the car with a 10th-place showing in April at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

This is Annett’s second year with RPM. In his first season with the team, he posted six top-fives and 7 top-10 finishes in the 33 races that made up the 2012 Nationwide Series schedule. He finished fifth in the championship points standings.

“The entire team is really excited to have Michael back in the car,” crew chief Philippe Lopez said. “We had such high hopes for a good season, since the end of 2012 was so good for us.”

– Photo courtesy of Getty Images for NASCAR

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“We just ran real fast,” Hamlin said. “The entire FedEx Office team just gave me an awesome car this weekend.”

Kurt Busch was second fastest with a time of 27.661 seconds to start alongside Hamlin on the front row. Still, Busch wasn’t happy with his qualifying performance.

“I didn’t do my job,” he said. “That just shows how good this team is right now. These Furniture Row guys are on it. They keep brining piece after piece to the race track. I couldn’t be happier for them and more proud of them. Todd Berrier (crew chief) and these guys it feels really good right now. I left some on the table in (turns) three and four, but I nailed (turns) one and two. I felt really good about it going down the back straightaway and I had a conversation with myself ‘how hard do I drive it into (turn) three?’ I just I still didn’t quite hit my marks in (turns) three and four. That just shows how good this car is right now.”

Matt Kenseth qualified third, giving Joe Gibbs Racing two of the top-three starting spots.

Busch was the only non-Toyota driver to claim one of the top-five spots on the starting grid, as Michael Waltrip Racing drivers Mark Martin and Clint Bowyer were the fourth and fifth-fastest in qualifying. The fastest Ford on Friday was the No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford of Greg Biffle, Biffle was the only Ford driver to crack the top-10, qualifying seventh.

“That’s all I’ve got. I didn’t have any more,” Biffle said. “It was perfect on both ends. I just breathed the throttle down there in one and two. I let off less than I thought I should have down here and the car just kind of slid the front, slid the back, slid the front, but didn’t move up the track. I felt like, ‘Oh my gosh, that was phenomenal. I got it perfect,’ because hardly ever can you say you got it perfect, but I got every ounce that car could get but didn’t scrub any speed and didn’t leave any on the table and we’re about a tenth-and-a-half off.”

Others in the top-10 include Kasey Kahne in sixth, Kyle Busch in eighth, Jamie McMurray in ninth, and Ryan Newman in 10th.

Forty-four drivers made qualifying attempts with the hopes of garnering one of the 43 spots on the starting grid. The one driver failing to make the race was Mike Bliss.

– Photo courtesy of Getty Images for NASCAR

Follow Stock Car Spin on Twitter @SCSblog or like Stock Car Spin on Facebook. Amanda’s also on Twitter @NASCARexaminer and has a fan/like page on Facebook: NASCAR Examiner.