FORT WORTH, Texas, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Carl Edwards won the pole Friday while championship leaders Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth had solid qualifying efforts at Texas Motor Speedway.
Edwards will start out front in Sunday's AAA Texas 500 after he was clocked at 196.114 miles per hour for a lap around the 1.5-mile oval. It was his second pole of the season and the 13th of his Sprint Cup career.
Brad Keselowski, last year's series champion, qualified second at 196.100 mph.
With three races left in the championship chase, Johnson and Kenseth are tied for the points lead. Johnson, a five-time winner of the series title, qualified third and Kenseth will start sixth.
Paul Menard was fourth fastest in qualifying while Kyle Busch was sixth. Jeff Gordon, the winner last week at Martinsville, Va., and third in the points race, qualified eighth.
