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Qualifying Notes – Phoenix:

November 12, 2005 at 12:00 AM

Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Bud Pole for the Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Techron, lapping Phoenix International Raceway in 26.831 seconds at 134.173 mph. Ryan Newman holds the track-qualifying record of 26.499 seconds, 135.854 mph, set Nov. 5, 2004.

•Hamlin posted his first career Bud Pole and his fourth top-10 start in just six NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races. He tied Loy Allen Jr., for the third quickest career-first Bud Pole in the modern era. Mark Martin, Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne all posted their first Bud Pole in their third race while Johnny Benson and Jimmie Johnson each posted theirs in their fourth race. Hamlin and Newman (2001) both posted their career-first Bud Pole prior to their official rookie season.

•Hamlin qualified second for the NASCAR Busch Series race later today.

•Jimmie Johnson posted the second-quickest qualifying lap of 26.965 seconds, 133.506 mph – and will join Hamlin on the front row for the Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Techron. He posted his 21st top-10 start this season and his second top-10 start in five races at Phoenix.

•This is the 14th Bud Pole for Chevrolet in 2005. Dodge has 11 Bud Poles and Ford has eight. Qualifying was canceled at Dover in June and Watkins Glen.

•Carl Edwards (third) posted his first top-10 start in three races at Phoenix. This is his 10th top-10 start of 2005.

•Greg Biffle (fourth) posted his 21st top-10 start in 2005. He has posted top-10 starts in two of his four Phoenix races.

•Bobby Labonte (fifth) posted his ninth top-10 start in 2005 and his sixth in 14 races at Phoenix.

•Bobby Hamilton Jr. (seventh), posted just his fourth top-10 start of 2005 and his best since he started second at Atlanta in March. It is his first start better than 19th in four Phoenix races.

•Ryan Newman, who has clinched the annual Bud Pole Award for the fourth straight year and started the season with 13 consecutive top-10 starts, will start outside the top-10 for just the seventh time in 2005.

•Only four of the 10 Chase drivers qualified in the top 10: Johnson, Edwards, Biffle and Tony Stewart (9th).

•Jerry Robertson (43rd) became the 11th driver to qualify for his career-first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race in 2005.

(NASCAR Statisical Services)(11-12-2005)