AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Ryan Newman won his 10th pole of the
season Friday, adding to his reputation as one of the best
qualifiers in Winston Cup history.
This time, Newman put his Penske Racing South Dodge at the front
of the field for Sunday's event at Phoenix International Raceway.
He beat a three-car effort by Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets.
Newman's fast lap in qualifying for the Checker Auto Parts 500
was 133.675 mph. That was just quick enough to keep 20-year-old
Brian Vickers -- making only his third Winston Cup start -- from
becoming the youngest driver to win a pole in NASCAR's top stock
car series.
Vickers' fast lap on the 1-mile oval was 133.640, and his time
was just 0.007 seconds slower than that of Newman.
"I was really pedaling pretty good," Newman said. "Brian
really laid on a pretty good lap and I didn't know how much was
left out there. Not much, I guess."
Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, Vickers' Hendrick teammates,
weren't far behind the top two. Johnson had a lap at 133.581.
Gordon, a winner of the races at Atlanta and Martinsville, Va., the
last two weeks, went 133.417.
Bill Elliott was the last driver to win more than nine poles in
the series, starting from the front 11 times in 1985. Cale
Yarborough won 14 poles in 1980, the most in Winston Cup history.
Bobby Isaac set the overall mark with 20 in 1969, when there
were considerably more races run each year in the pre-Winston Cup
era.
Newman has competed in just 78 events, but already has 17 poles,
including three in his last four tries. The first of those came in
2001, when he drove in just seven races. There were six more in
2002, when he was Rookie of the Year in his first full season.
"I've watched qualifying the last two years and seen how
frustrated some of these drivers get with Ryan Newman," Vickers
said. "I'm starting to feel it. We were so close."
Newman gives much of the credit for his performance to crew
chief Matt Borland and the rest of the team on his No. 12 Intrepid.
"The team gives me great cars and great opportunities to be up
on the front row and I just have to go out and get it done for
them," Newman said. "It doesn't get old and it always will be a
great confidence builder for the whole team.
Johnson said Newman's ability in time trials has changed the way
many teams approach qualifying.
"I think it's put more importance on it for everyone," Johnson
said. "Ryan has really raised the bar and track position and pit
road are so important, we really work to be in the top five."
Everybody had to make some adjustments Friday. The wall in the
second turn has been moved out 12 feet in an effort to promote more
side-by-side racing, and new pavement has been laid down in turn
four, where a tunnel was built to the infield.
"It's not a huge difference," Johnson said. "It's just enough
that you have to do a little work to get it right."
Rusty Wallace, Newman's teammate, was fifth at 133.151, followed
by series champion Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch, both at 133.057.
Dave Blaney, rookie Casey Mears and Joe Nemechek completed the top
10.
Points leader Matt Kenseth, the defending race winner but not
known for his qualifying ability, had another bad day. His Roush
Racing Ford will start 37th in the 43-car field.
"We ran OK at times today, but we just don't have the speed,"
Kenseth said. "I'm doing everything I can and I don't feel that
bad. We just don't go anywhere, so we'll just have to wear them
down in the race like we've been doing."
Kenseth, who has 10 top-fives and 23 top-10s in 33 starts this
season, goes into Sunday's race with a lead of 258 points over Dale
Earnhardt Jr., who will start 11th. Kenseth is 262 points ahead of
Kevin Harvick, who will go from the 13th spot on the grid.
Kenseth can win the championship by finishing 21st or better in
the last three races, no matter what his competitors do.