FONTANA, Calif., Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Nineteen-year old Kyle Busch posted a record 38.248 lap around the two-mile California Speedway Saturday to take the pole Sunday's 500 Nextel Cup race.
In just his eighth start, Busch, younger brother of 2004 Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch, became the youngest driver in Nextel Cup history to be on the pole.
Donald Thomas held the previous mark when he won that honor in 1952 at the age of 20.
Starting on the front row with Busch will be 21-year old Brian Vickers who posted a second-best time of 38.351 seconds. The Hendrick Motorsports teammates comprise the youngest front row in NASCAR history.
Vickers won the pole in the 2004 fall event at Fontana.
Jeremy Mayfield (38.377) and Joe Nemechek (38.392) will begin in the second row.
Nextel Cup Series champion Kurt Busch was 20th and Jeff Gordon, defending race champion and three-time winner Jeff Gordon, will start 28th.
