All News Bill Elliott Bobby Labonte Carl Edwards Jamie McMurray Jimmie Johnson Kasey Kahne Kurt Busch Mark Martin Ricky Rudd Ryan Newman

Pocono Qualifying Notes:

July 23, 2005 at 12:00 AM

• Jamie McMurray won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Bud Pole for the Pennsylvania 500, lapping Pocono Raceway in 53.330 seconds at 168.761 mph. Kasey Kahne holds the track-qualifying record of 52.164 seconds, 172.533 mph, set June 11, 2004.
• There have been 18 different Bud Pole winners in the 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races at Pocono since June 1996. Qualifying was canceled in June 2002.
• This is McMurray’s second career Bud Pole in 98 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races. It is his third top-10 start this season. His previous best start this season was fourth here at Pocono in June. This is the third top-10 start in six races at Pocono for McMurray.
• McMurray became the 13th different Bud Pole winner this season.
• Kurt Busch posted the second-quickest qualifying lap of 53.402 seconds, 168.533 mph – and will join McMurray on the front row for the Pennsylvania 500. This is fifth top-10 start, including three straight top-threes, in 10 Pocono races for Busch. It is his 10th top-10 start this season.
• This is the eighth Bud Pole for Dodge in 2005 and breaks a streak of four consecutive Chevrolet Bud Poles this season. Four of the last five Pocono Bud Poles have been won by Dodge, each with a different driver. Chevrolet has nine Bud Poles and Ford has two this season. Qualifying was canceled at Dover in June.
• Mark Martin (third) has posted 28 top-10 starts in his 38 races at Pocono. It is only his second top-10 start this season.
• Ryan Newman (fourth) scored his fourth top-10 start in his eight races at Pocono, but this is his first since 2003. It is his 17th top-10 start this season
• Ricky Rudd (fifth) posted his 26th top-10 start in 53 races at Pocono, but his first since 2002. This is his fourth top-10 start this season.
• Only six NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Pocono have ever been won from a starting position worse than 15th, most recently by Carl Edwards who won this year’s Pocono 500 from 29th, the farthest back that a race winner at Pocono has started.
• In 23 years of twice-a-year NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Pocono since 1982, a sweep has occurred only five times: Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1985), Tim Richmond (1986), Bobby Labonte (1999) and Jimmie Johnson (2004).(NASCAR Statistical Services)(7-23-2005)