Highlights

Kurt Busch wins pole at Watkins Glen

Updated: 2006-08-12 09:38

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. - Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne did what they had to do. Greg Biffle didn't, and now faces a difficult road ahead. Busch won his second straight road course pole on Friday, wheeling his No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge through the 11-turn Watkins Glen International course at 122.966 mph to knock Kahne (121.845 mph) to second.

It was the third pole of the season for Busch and sixth of his career, and it came only moments after Biffle crashed on his qualifying try, relegating him to the back of the 43-car field.

Ryan Newman qualified third (121.642 mph), just ahead of four-time Watkins Glen winner Jeff Gordon (121.432 mph). Series leader Jimmie Johnson and Robby Gordon, who won this race in 2003, will start on the third row, Kevin Harvick and defending race champion Tony Stewart will go seventh and eighth, Kyle Busch and rookie Denny Hamlin round out the top 10, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will go 11th.

"You've got to let it rip when you've got the chance," said Busch, who posted the fastest lap in the final practice before his left front tire went flat. "The crew gave me a car capable of sitting on the pole. Maybe it'll stick and maybe it won't."

It didn't stick for Biffle, and with track position so vital on road courses because there aren't many places to pass, his wobble could put a big dent in his chances to make the Chase for the Nextel Cup championship. The cutoff is in five races, and the top 10 in the standings — and any others within 400 points of the leader after the first 26 races — qualify for the 10-race Chase.

Johnson holds a 107-point lead over second-place Matt Kenseth, who qualified 30th, and third-place Jeff Burton is a whopping 375 points behind. Barring a meltdown by Johnson, only 10 drivers will make the Chase for the third straight year.

Entering Sunday's AMD at The Glen, Kahne is 37 points behind the 10th-place driver, Earnhardt Jr., Biffle is 12th, 115 points back, and Kurt Busch is 174 points behind in 13th. Just 171 points separate third from 11th place, and Kahne only trails the seventh-place driver, Hamlin, by 73.

"There's four guys in front of us in the mix," said Busch, who also captured the pole at Sonoma in June. "I just have to keep the blinders on and have a great race on Sunday."

Biffle, who was seventh-fastest in final practice, lost control of his No. 16 National Guard Ford going through the high-speed esses, and the right rear slammed hard into the blue guard rail that lines the 2.45-mile course. He drove it back to the pits, climbed under the back end to survey the damage, and shook his head in frustration.

"This car's been a little bit loose," said Biffle, who will go to a backup car for the race and start 41st. "Once these things break loose, you're going through the esses at such a high speed, there's not a lot of runoff room. There wasn't any area for me to try to get a hold of it. I was driving it sideways, but it just got up in the guardrail.

"I feel bad, but our other car is just as good. It's the car we finished fourth with at Sonoma, so I feel really good about that."

Kahne breathed a sigh of relief after his run, and was well aware of Biffle's trouble.

"I saw the mark he left when I went by, and it didn't look good," said Kahne, who crashed on the last lap a week ago at Indianapolis, finished 36th, and fell out of the top 10. "That could happen to any of us. We're trying so hard through that part of the racetrack, and there's not a lot of grip there."

Kahne was oblivious to the turmoil surrounding his team, Evernham Motorsports. He was unaware until he arrived at the track that team owner Ray Evernham had fired Jeremy Mayfield, driver of the No. 19 Dodge, on Monday and replaced him with Bill Elliott for Sunday's race.

Kahne just shrugged when asked about it. He had more important things on his mind.

"We just need to figure it out (Saturday) and really take care of the car on Sunday, take care of it on the last corner of the last lap," Kahne said. "We can't have another 36th-place finish if we want to make it into the Chase.

"We definitely need to be concerned and make sure we finish the race, leave here with a decent run," said Kahne, who also ran well at Sonoma but finished 31st after suffering a flat tire late in the race. "If we don't, we're going to be in trouble."

Elliott, who has been running a limited schedule since the end of 2003, was thrown into the mix on Tuesday and managed to qualify 31st.

"I haven't been here in two years," Elliott said. "Just to get in there cold turkey, it's tough. There's a lot of pressure on me."