LONG POND, Pa., June 8 (UPI) -- Ryan Newman won his third straight Nextel Cup pole Friday, capturing the No. 1 starting position for Sunday's Pocono 500.
Newman turned a lap at the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway in 52.922 seconds -- a speed of 170.062 mph.
It was Newman's fourth pole of the season and the 41st of his Nextel Cup career. He is tied for 11th with Mark Martin, who has been racing 21 years longer than Newman.
Denny Hamlin had the second-fastest time, 53.167. Hamlin won the pole at this event last year and went on to win the race.
The second row will be filled by Martin Truex Jr. (53.346) and Kyle Busch (53.527). Truex won last week's race at Dover by seven seconds -- the first Nextel Cup victory of his career.
Points leader Jeff Gordon will start 18th on Sunday.
