Thu Apr 10 20:36:25 2008

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Another pole for Newman at PIR

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Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Ryan Newman captured the pole for Saturday night's Subway Fresh Fit 500 at the Phoenix International Raceway. The No.12 Alltel Dodge circled the flat one-mile oval in 26.975 seconds (133.457 m.p.h.).

The pole victory was Newman's first of the season, record fourth at PIR and 43rd of his Sprint Cup career. It's been an eventful week for the Penske driver who received a 25-point penalty earlier in the week after failing post- race inspection in Texas.

"It wasn't a perfect lap, but it was a very good lap," said Newman, the track qualifying record holder (26.499 seconds in 2004). "I want to thank everybody at Penske Racing."

Starting alongside Newman will be Elliott Sadler who posted a time of 26.984 seconds.

Row two will consist of Carl Edwards (26.991), who won last week's race and Mark Martin (26.993). They were the only drivers to break the 27-second barrier.

"I think we are going to be pretty competitive on Saturday night," said Edwards, who leaders the series with three wins.

Other drivers of note and their starting positions: Kasey Kahne (fifth), Kyle Busch (sixth), two-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson (seventh), Martin Truex Jr. (ninth), Jeff Gordon (11th), Tony Stewart (12th), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (13th), Kevin Harvick (17th) and Matt Kenseth (27th).

Kyle Petty and John Andretti failed to qualify for the race.

If the Chase for the Sprint Cup started today, there would be some very big names left without a "ticket to the dance." NASCAR invites just 12 drivers to compete in the "Chase." Currently outside the top-12 are: Kenseth, Gordon and Kurt Busch - all former series champions. Others who would be left off the list include: Truex Jr., who made last year's Chase, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jamie McMurray and Casey Mears.

Kenseth, the 2003 Sprint Cup Champion, is the closest to qualifying for the "Chase," just 54 points behind both Kahne and Clint Bowyer.

Gordon, part of the Hendrick Motorsports team of drivers which dominated in 2007 winning 18 of 36 events, has been frustrated for much of the season trying to find the right setup.

"I can't remember the last time we struggled this bad," said the four-time series champion.

In 2008 a Kurt Busch sighting in the top-10 has been a rare event. After pushing Penske teammate Ryan Newman to the victory at Daytona in February, Busch, the 2004 Sprint Cup Champion, has failed to earn a top-10.

But the good news for these guys and the rest of the drivers outside the top-12 is that there is plenty of time left to get it together and make the "Chase." There are still 19 races remaining before the Sprint Cup "regular" season ends in Richmond on September 6th.

Gordon is the defending champion both at PIR and the next race in Talladega.

The race is scheduled to drop the green flag on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. (et).