Kahne beats out teammate for NASCAR pole

By Reid Spencer

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

KANSAS CITY, Kan.

Kasey Kahne knew he’d run a good lap Friday at Kansas Speedway, but he was pretty sure it wouldn’t hold up for the Coors Light Pole Award.

He was wrong.

The 11th driver to make a qualifying attempt at the 1.5-mile speedway, Kahne covered the distance in 30.920 seconds (174.644 mph) to claim the top starting spot for Sunday’s Price Chopper 400, the third race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

“I got loose in (Turns) 3 and 4 and gave up some time,” Kahne said after climbing from his car. “I don’t think it’ll be the pole, but it was a good lap.”

It was better than Kahne thought.

In winning his third pole of the season and the 19th of his career, the driver of the No. 9 Ford edged Richard Petty Motorsports teammate Paul Menard (174.469 mph), who will start on the outside of the front row. Kahne and Menard led a parade of non-Chase drivers into the top 10 on the grid.

Jeff Gordon (third fastest at 174.430 mph), Greg Biffle (fifth at 174.255 mph), Matt Kenseth (eighth at 173.902 mph) and Kurt Busch (ninth at 173.874 mph) are the only Chase drivers in the top 10. Points leader Denny Hamlin will start 12th, and four-time defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson — second in the standings — rolls off 21st.

Gordon was elated with his best starting position since he qualified second at Darlington in May.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve qualified well,” Gordon said. “I feel like we race better when we qualify up front.”

Joe Nemechek, Mike Bliss and Jason Leffler failed to qualify for the 43-car field.