Newman wins NASCAR pole

MARTINSVILLE, Va., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Ryan Newman won the pole and championship leader Jimmie Johnson found himself back in the field Friday in qualifying for Sunday's Tums Fast Relief 500.

The race, to be run Sunday at the Martinsville Speedway, is the sixth in the 10-event NASCAR playoff schedule.

Johnson, trying to become the first driver to win the Sprint Cup title four years in a row, has surged into a 90-point lead over Mark Martin.

Newman turned in a lap around the .526-mile track in 19.563 seconds. It was his second pole of the season and the 45th of his Sprint Cup career.

Jeff Gordon, who leads all active drivers with seven poles at Martinsville, had the second-fastest lap. Gordon is in third place in the points chase, 135 behind Johnson.

Martin Truex Jr. qualified third, followed by Martin and David Reutimann. Johnson was the 15th-fastest qualifier. He has won five of the last six races contested at Martinsville.