Ryan Newman was gunning for his fourth straight Bud Pole at PIR. Credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Newman nearly crashes in bid to get Bud Pole

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Track record holder Ryan Newman failed to win his fourth consecutive Bud Pole at Phoenix International Raceway Friday in qualifying for the Subway Fresh 500.

Newman had dominated Thursday's pair of Nextel Cup practices, but after nearly crashing twice in his two-lap qualifying run, Newman was proudest just to have the same Dodge he'd practiced in, to line up seventh on Saturday night.

"We struggled coming to the green flag and that hurt the first lap," Newman said. "I just tried to get too much out of it coming off of (Turn) 2 on the second lap and that was it."

Newman -- like every other Dodge driver -- has been shut out of victory lane in 2005. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

Newman, as he often does, greatly exaggerated his save that would have made any dirt track ace proud. His car wobbled once, then yawed violently sideways before Newman brought it back under control.

"Yeah," Newman said, laughing. "I'm proud of saving it, but I'm not proud of doing what I did. But we'll go on because we've got a good car.

"I'm disappointed because I knew we had a shot at the pole, but we'll have more shots."

Newman's crew chief Matt Borland had a bird's eye view of Newman's slide from the Turn 1 end of pit road.

"That was pretty good," Borland said of Newman's driving. "He was trying to get everything out of it, and unfortunately we were just a little too loose that run."

Jeff Gordon qualified 31st of 46 cars and was on the pole when Newman went out last.

Gordon's crew chief Robbie Loomis was grinning broadly when he accepted congratulations from Borland.

Lineup Subway Fresh 500 Pos. Driver Make 1. Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 2. Kurt Busch Ford 3. Greg Biffle Ford 4. Bobby Labonte Chevrolet 5. Brian Vickers Chevrolet Complete lineup, click here

"That was tough," Loomis said, laughing and shaking his head. "He was going to run about a (26.) 70 if it would have stuck."

Newman set the track qualifying record last year, 26.499 seconds. Gordon's pole-winning lap Friday was in 26.931 seconds.

Newman's only hot lap was in 27.085 seconds and, since most drivers picked up time on their second laps, he was left with thoughts of what might have been -- except for being thankful for still having his primary car.

In frontJeff Gordon gets the Bud Pole for the Subway Fresh 500 Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

"It was about wrote-off (wrecked)," Newman said. "I just got lucky and got it back together. I don't think the conditions were much different (from practice) -- I just screwed up."

Newman, who made his Cup debut in 2000 at Phoenix when he qualified 10th, has finished 18th, third and second in the three PIR races in which he won the pole. He's also winless in 2005 after winning three poles.

Still, he denied that he might be better off not winning his 31st career pole.

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"No, I don't think so," Newman said. "We'll take every one we can get and if we don't get it, we'll keep trying."

Newman, who was second to rookie Penske Racing teammate Travis Kvapil in Thursday's first practice and fastest in Thursday night's Happy Hour, wasn't overly concerned about starting seventh rather than first.

"(Passing) is not easy here, but I think we've got a car that's going to be pretty good in race trim," Newman said. "Handling is the key, as it is every day."

In 17 previous Cup races on Phoenix's one-mile oval, no pole winner has won.

"I think we'll have just as good a shot at winning the race -- I don't think the pole was going to make a difference in that," Newman said. "But I wish we could have had a better pit selection and a better starting spot.

"It's been proven that you don't have to win the pole to win the race."