Newman ties Baker with 43rd pole; Sadler second

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman streaked around 1-mile Phoenix International Raceway in 26.975 seconds (133.457 mph) Thursday to win the pole for Saturday's Subway Fresh Fit 500 (watch video), edging Elliott Sadler for the top spot by .009 seconds.

Race Lineup

Subway Fresh Fit 500

Pos.	Driver	Make
1.	Ryan Newman	Dodge
2.	Elliott Sadler	Dodge
3.	Carl Edwards	Ford
4.	Mark Martin	Chevrolet
5.	Kasey Kahne	Dodge
6.	Kyle Busch	Toyota
7.	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet
8.	Jamie McMurray	Ford
9.	Martin Truex Jr.	Chevrolet
10.	Scott Riggs	Chevrolet

• Lineup | Videos | Photos

It was Newman's first pole of the season -- the eighth consecutive year he has won at least one pole -- and the 43rd of his career, tying him with Buck Baker for 10th on the all-time list. The pole was Newman's fourth at Phoenix but the first since he won three in a row from 2002 through 2004.

"We were fast in practice," said Newman, who topped Thursday's opening session (speeds). "It wasn't a perfect lap, but it was a good lap. It was a bit conservative."

Conservative or not, it was good enough to wrest the pole from Sadler (133.412 mph), whose previous best starting position at Phoenix was ninth in 2004.

"We were so close," Sadler said. "I'd rather lose the pole by three-tenths (of a second) than a hundredth."

Carl Edwards (133.378 mph) was third, followed by Mark Martin (133.368 mph) and Kasey Kahne (133.304 mph).

"I felt like I left a little bit out there, but I never imagined we'd go that fast," said Edwards, who went out 10th and didn't expect his time to stand up for the pole.

Sure enough, Newman made his qualifying run five spots later and dropped the driver of the No. 99 Roush Fenway Ford to second position, where Edwards remained until Sadler bumped him from the front row.

"It all depends on how your weekend starts out here in Phoenix," Sadler said. "Track position is very important. Pit selection is very important."

Sadler said his back is "about 80 percent." An off-track injury before the March 30 Cup race at Martinsville severely restricted his practice time that weekend.

In his first race this season in the No. 70 Haas CNC Racing Chevrolet, Johnny Sauter, who replaced Jeremy Mayfield this week, grabbed the last starting spot on speed (read more). A new driver worked for the No. 70 car, but a new crew chief (Stewart Cooper) didn't work for Kyle Petty, who was bumped from the field by Sauter.

Notes: After missing last week's race at Texas, Dario Franchitti was the fastest rookie, grabbing the 21st starting position (read more). ... John Andretti, like Petty, failed to make the field. ... Bill Elliott used a past champion's provisional to claim the final starting spot.