CONCORD, N.C.-- Ryan Newman has continued his mastery of
qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway, capturing his ninth pole at
the track for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600.

Newman's bold decision to run his lap at the top of the slick
track on Thursday night paid off when he was clocked at 187.546
mph.

He'll start on the pole for the second straight year in NASCAR's
longest race. No active driver has more poles at Charlotte than
Newman, who moved within five of David Pearson's track record. Newman, though, is still looking for his first Sprint Cup victory at the track.

Kurt Busch, who won last weekend's All-Star race at CMS, qualified second at 187.292 mph. Martin Truex Jr. will start third, followed by Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson.

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