WINSTON CUP Newman claims pole for 10th time

Brian Vickers, a rookie who will make just his third start Sunday, was second-fastest.
AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- 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 peddling 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.
Last to reach double figures
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."
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.
Another bad day for Kenseth
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.