Edwards rockets to Phoenix pole; Chase leaders struggle
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Service
(November 12, 2010)
AVONDALE, Ariz. —Carl Edwards won his third Coors Light Pole Award of the season Friday at Phoenix International Raceway, and AJ Allmendinger put his car on the front row despite the adversity facing Richard Petty Motorsports.
In contrast, the only three drivers with realistic chances to win the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup—Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick—all had lackluster qualifying efforts in time trials for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 and must come through the field to stake their claims to the series championship.
Edwards covered the one-mile distance in 26.395 seconds (136.389 mph), as he, Allmendinger (136.250 mph) and Kurt Busch (136.240 mph) all eclipsed Ryan Newman's track qualifying record of 135.854 mph (26.499 seconds), set on Nov. 5, 2004.
Hamlin, who leads second-place Johnson by 33 points with two races left in the Chase, will start 17th, with Johnson taking the green flag from the 21st position and Harvick from 29th. Harvick trails Hamlin by 59 points.
Jason Leffler, Joe Nemechek and JJ Yeley failed to qualify for the 43-car field.
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