HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Once more unto the breach, dear Chasers.

For the final time in 2008, the Chase for the Sprint Cup qualifiers put it on the line for speed, and the two drivers still alive for the title had vastly different outcomes on Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Carl Edwards, who must win and lead the most laps to have any shot at points leader Jimmie Johnson, did not look as if he was conceding anything to Johnson on his qualifying lap, and he will enjoy a big advantage when the green flag waves on Sunday.

Edwards' No. 99 Ford tripped the sensors at 171.418 mph, nearly a full mph faster than the early pole-sitter, Juan Montoya. He held the pole until teammate Matt Kenseth knocked him off toward the end of the top 35 session, and he will start fourth on Sunday as David Reutimann ended up taking the pole.

"We just go race as hard as we can," Edwards said. "No matter what happens to Jimmie, we have to run very well to have a chance to win this championship. ... It's still a great lap and it will get us a better spot than Jimmie's got, which is at least a start -- even if it's a small one."

Edwards has three top-10 finishes in four starts at Homestead, including two top-fives, and he'll start well ahead of Johnson on Sunday. In effect, Edwards's starting position places him 70 points ahead of Johnson, halving his point deficit in a single lap.

He'll also have better pit selection than Johnson will on Sunday.

"Pit selection will be big -- not as big as other places though because you can pass so easily here," Edwards said. "You can run all over this racetrack, but I'll take whatever I can get. This will make it a little easier to sleep tonight and have a little confidence going into the race."

Johnson, who has to finish 36th or better to clinch his third consecutive series title, put his No. 48 Chevrolet into the field at 169.252 mph, good for just 30th spot, and that will be a cause for concern in the hauler.

Johnson has never won at Homestead, though he has finished second twice and has five top-10 finishes in seven starts. Johnson's average finish is 13.4, while his only rival for the Cup, Edwards, leads the way at 7.8.

Kenseth, who will start third on Sunday, continued a trend of qualifying in the top five at Homestead with a lap at 171.429 mph in the No. 17 Ford. Last year, he was fourth at the start and ended up winning the race. He has another top-five to go with three top-10s, and his average finish is 20.0.

Kevin Harvick is another one who runs well here, with five top-10s in seven starts, and he put his No. 29 Chevrolet in fifth at 171.043 mph soon after Edwards' blazing-fast run. Harvick ranks second to Edwards in finishing average at 10.1.

Kyle Busch has weathered the storm of the Chase as well as can be expected for a driver who won eight of the season's first 26 races, and he put the No. 18 Toyota in eighth at 170.729 mph. Busch's best finish at Homestead is 20th, and his average finish is a dismal 33.0.

Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Tony Stewart has not qualified all that well in the Chase, but for his final race with Joe Gibbs Racing, he responded with a lap at 170.363 mph in the No. 20 Toyota. That put him 13th for Sunday.

Stewart, who won the first two races here in 1999 and 2000, has another top-five finish and four in the top 10 and has led 330 laps in nine races. His average finish is 12.2.

Jeff Burton has a history of qualifying poorly but racing well. On Friday, he qualified well, putting the No. 31 Chevrolet in 17th at 170.116 mph. Burton has three top-five and four top-10 finishes in nine starts, and two of the top-fives are third-place finishes. Burton's average finish is 13.1, toward the top of the Chase field.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has not run well at Homestead, as his best finish is 13th in eight starts. Earnhardt was one of the first cars out and posted a lap at 169.731 mph in his No. 88 Chevrolet. That put him 22nd in Sunday's lineup. His average finish is 21.3, near the bottom of the Chase field.

Greg Biffle, along with Stewart and Kenseth as the only Chasers to have won here, has three victories to his credit and is seeking a fourth. His Ford was clocked at 169.354 mph and he'll start 23rd on Sunday. Biffle has won half his six starts at Homestead and led 173 laps, but his average finish is 12.7, on the upper end but not the best among Chasers.

Denny Hamlin put the No. 11 Toyota in the field in 25th after his lap at 169.454 mph. Hamlin has finished third twice in three starts, including last year, and his average finish of 13.0 is in the top half of the Chase grid.

Clint Bowyer, making his third start at Homestead, put his No. 07 Chevrolet in at 169.321 mph. Bowyer was 10th in his first start here, but his average finish is 24.5. He'll roll off 27th on Sunday.

Jeff Gordon has never won at Homestead, one of three tracks where he has yet to taste Victory Lane, but he has managed to be in the top 10 here on seven of nine occasions and in the top five four times for an average finish of 10.6. His No. 24 Chevrolet will start 37th on Sunday after his lap at 168.334 mph.