AVONDALE, Ariz. — Carl Edwards won the pole at Phoenix International Raceway in Friday’s qualifying with a track-record lap.
Edwards ran a lap of 136.389 mph in a Ford for Roush-Fenway Racing to earn the top starting spot in Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500. He broke the record of 135.854 set by Ryan Newman in 2004.
“It’s very important to start up front, and it’s one of the things we’ve been focusing on, qualifying,” Edwards said. “It’s really important here. This track, like almost all tracks we race on, track position is so important.”
AJ Allmendinger qualified second for beleaguered Richard Petty Motorsports with a lap of 136.250, and Kurt Busch was third for Penske Racing with a 136.240. The top three drivers all broke the track record.
The three championship contenders will start fairly close together, with Denny Hamlin qualifying 17th, four-time Phoenix winner Jimmie Johnson in 21st and Kevin Harvick at 29th.
Bodine wins Trucks title.
Todd Bodine earned his second NASCAR Trucks season title, finishing well behind race winner Clint Bowyer at Phoenix International Speedway.
Bodine entered the race with a 230-point lead over Aric Almirola, needing only to avoid a catastrophe to win the title. Bodine did just that, finishing 12th to wrap up the title with one race remaining.
Bodine, who won his first title in 2006, joined Ron Hornaday Jr. (four) and Jack Sprague (three) as the only Trucks drivers to win multiple titles.
Bowyer, making his first Trucks start for Kevin Harvick Inc. since 2007, started third and beat Kyle Busch off pit road by inches during a caution on Lap 96. Bowyer pulled away from there for his first Trucks win since 2006 at Texas.
Hornaday agrees to extension.
Kevin Harvick Inc. signed Hornaday to a multiyear extension to drive in NASCAR’s Trucks Series. The 52-year-old driver will return to the No. 33 Chevrolet next season.
Hornaday has been with KHI since 2005, and won two of his four championships with the organization. He’s also the series’ winningest driver with 47 victories.
Footnotes.
Kyle Busch said he has had discussions with IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan about having the Brazilian run some NASCAR races.
“With Toyota’s support and with the support of the Trucks Series, I think it would be kind of fun to see him,” Busch said. “Test him a little bit, get his feet wet.”
• Chevrolet announced it will produce a twin-turbocharged V-6 racing engine for Team Penske to use in the 2012 IndyCar series after five years away from the circuit.
• John Force picked up a critical bonus point in qualifying in the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., to move back within two rounds of points leader Matt Hagan in the funny car title chase.
