NASCAR: Kyle Busch form continues with pole

Kyle Busch claimed NASCAR Sprint Cup pole position in qualifying at Pocono Raceway.

Busch is aiming for his fourth consecutive win in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and is now within 23 points of the top-30 championship spot he needs to ensure a Chase place despite missing 11 rounds through injury.

He grabbed pole by just 0.070 seconds from championship leader Kevin Harvick.

Stewart-Haas Racing driver Harvick, who led round two of qualifying, was on top after the opening runs in the third part of qualifying before Busch pipped him to pole with just seconds left in the session.

Joey Logano clinched another top three spot in qualifying ahead of Austin Dillon, who jumped to fourth late on, and opening-round pacesetter Tony Stewart.

Kurt Busch took sixth, while Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards, who took his second consecutive pole last week at Indianapolis, finished the session seventh and eighth.

Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordo, Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top 12, who were only separated by half a second.

In round two of qualifying Dale Earnhardt Jr was the biggest scalp.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver could only manage 15th on the grid as he and Richard Childress Racing's Dillon raced down to the wire for the final round three spot, which Dillon clinched.

Martin Truex Jr, Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne also struggled and lost out in round two.

Roush Fenway Racing drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Greg Biffle both failed to make it out of round one, qualifying 25th and 34th respectively.

Kyle Larson could only muster 27th in his Chip Ganassi Chevrolet.

Originally on Autosport.com