Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Bud Pole for the Pocono 500, lapping Pocono Raceway in 53.054 seconds at 169.638 mph. Kasey Kahne holds the track-qualifying record of 52.164 seconds, 172.533 mph – set June 11, 2004.
This is Hamlins second career Bud Pole in 21 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races. His other Bud Pole came at Phoenix in November 2005. Hamlin posted his ninth top-10 start in 2006, including each of the last five races. It is his first qualifying attempt at Pocono.
Hamlin became the 10th different Bud Pole winner this season.
Hamlin also became the 19th different Bud Pole winner in the past 20 races at Pocono. Qualifying was canceled in June 2002 due to weather.
A Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year contender has won a Bud Pole in each of the past 11 seasons (1996-2006). Hamlin actually posted his first Bud Pole last season, before his official rookie year.
Kurt Busch posted the second-quickest qualifying lap of 53.102 seconds, 169.485 mph and will join Hamlin on the front row for the Pocono 500. This is Buschs 11th top-10 start this season and his best since he won the Bud Pole at California in the second race of 2006. It is his sixth top-10 start and his third consecutive second-place start in 11 races at Pocono.
This is the fourth Bud Pole for Chevrolet in 2006. Dodge has six Bud Poles and Ford has three. Qualifying was canceled at Bristol.
Kasey Kahne (third) posted his eighth top-10 start in 2006 and his second in five races at Pocono. It is his first top-10 start here since he won the Bud Pole in June 2004.
Brian Vickers (fourth) has posted a top-10 start in all five of his appearances at Pocono. It is his fourth top-10 start this season.
Jeff Burton (fifth) posted his fifth top-10 start of 2006 but his first since Atlanta (Race No. 4). It is his seventh top-10 start in 25 races at Pocono and his first since he started eighth in three straight races from July 1999 through July 2001.(NASCAR Statistical Services)(6-9-2006)
