Ryan Newman the fastest again at Loudon track

By Reid Spencer

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

LOUDON, N.H.

Rain or no rain, it didn’t matter to Ryan Newman, who won the pole for Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the second race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

After a rain delay halted Friday’s qualifying session, Newman, the last driver to make an attempt, posted a lap at 135.002 mph (28.213 seconds) to knock Kasey Kahne (134.763 mph), who had preceded him on the track, out of the top spot.

The pole was Newman’s third of the season and the 49th of his career. The driver of the No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet won the July race at New Hampshire from the pole.

As the fastest driver in Friday’s practice, Newman would have started from the top spot whether or not rain had washed out the session.

Kahne’s Red Bull Racing teammate, Brian Vickers, qualified before the rain delay, and his speed of 134.648 mph stood up for the third starting position. Greg Biffle (134.587 mph) will start fourth. Kurt Busch qualified fifth at 134.382 mph.

Newman made his pole-winning run on his only lap and then shut the car down, whereas many drivers had improved their speeds on a second of two laps.

“It took a little bit more [time] for my tires to fire up, as far as stick[ing], and that kind of scared me a little bit, but I ran the first lap just as I expected to, as I did in practice, and it was enough to win the pole,” said Newman, who paced qualifying for the sixth time at the Magic Mile.

“Our car was typically quicker on the first lap and not the second in practice. I was glad I got him on the first lap, and [crew chief Tony] Gibson said, ‘Shut her down,’ and that was a good sign for me.”