All News Brian Vickers Chad Chaffin Denny Hamlin Derrike Cope Greg Sacks Jeff Gordon Kasey Kahne Raybestos Rookie Ryan Newman Stanton Barrett

Pocono Qualifying Notes:

July 21, 2006 at 12:00 AM

• Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Bud Pole for the Pennsylvania 500, lapping Pocono Raceway in 52.995 seconds at 169.827 mph. Kasey Kahne holds the track-qualifying record of 52.164 seconds, 172.533 mph – set June 11, 2004.
• This is Hamlin’s third career Bud Pole in 27 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races. His most recent Bud Pole came at Pocono in June, six races ago. Hamlin posted his 12th top-10 start in 2006, including three of the last four races. This was his second qualifying attempt at Pocono.
• Hamlin became the first Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year contender to sweep both Bud Poles at a track in a single season since Davey Allison did so at Rockingham in 1987.
• Hamlin became the sixth driver to score multiple Bud Poles this season.
• Hamlin became the first repeat Bud Pole winner at Pocono in the last 21 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.
• Ryan Newman posted the second-quickest qualifying lap of 53.123 seconds, 169.418 mph – and will join Hamlin on the front row for the Pennsylvania 500. This is Newman’s eighth top-10 start this season and the only time this season that he has had back-to-back front row starts. Newman won the Bud Pole last week at New Hampshire. It is his fifth top-10 start in 10 races at Pocono.
• This is the sixth Bud Pole for Chevrolet in 2006. Dodge has nine Bud Poles and Ford has four. Qualifying was canceled at Bristol.
• Kasey Kahne (third) posted his 12th top-10 start in 2006 and his third in six races at Pocono. Kahne also started third here in June.
• Brian Vickers (fourth) has posted a top-10 start in all six of his appearances at Pocono. It is his eighth top-10 start this season. Vickers also started fourth here in June.
• Jeff Gordon (fifth) posted his ninth top-10 start of 2006. It is his 16th top-10 start in 28 races at Pocono. Gordon started sixth here in June.
• Four drivers failed to qualify for the Pennsylvania 500: Chad Chaffin, Derrike Cope, Stanton Barrett, and Greg Sacks. Chad Chaffin’s time was disallowed following post time trial inspection.(NASCAR Statisical Services)(7-21-2006)