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Red-hot Kahne nabs pole at Sonoma

Jun 21, 2008 - 6:47 AM SONOMA, California (Ticker) -- Seeking his third win in the last five races, Kasey Kahne qualified on the pole for the Toyota Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on Friday.

Kahne's Dodge turned in a time of 77.740 seconds at an average speed of 92.153 miles per hour. He will be joined on the front row by the Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson.

It is Kahne's second pole of the season and 16th career. He won from the pole earlier this season at Pocono on June 8.

Kahne is currently on a terrific stretch, winning at both Pocono and Charlotte in the last four races with a second-place finish at Michigan last week. He has climbed to seventh place in the Sprint Cup standings, 324 points behind series leader Kyle Busch.

Kahne, however, has not been used to success at Sonomo. In four races at the road course, Kahne's best finish here is 23rd.

Currently sitting in fifth place in the standings, Johnson qualified in 77.836 seconds at 92.040 mph. The reigning Sprint Cup champion is seeking his fourth consecutive top-10 finish after placing sixth at both Michigan and Pocono and seventh at Dover.

A pair of Dodges will make up row two. Kurt Busch will start third and Bobby Labonte gets his best starting position of the season at fourth.

The most successful driver in the history of Infineon Raceway, Jeff Gordon, will round out the top five. Gordon, who is still winless this season, has five career victories at Sonoma and is seeking his series-best 10th career road course win.

Kyle Busch, who leads Jeff Burton by 32 points in the standings, will start 30th. Burton qualified 20th and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who ended a 76-race losing skid at Michigan last week and currently sits third in the standings, is starting 15th.

Juan Pablo Montoya, whose only career victory came at Sonoma last year, qualified 21st.