Kahne claims pole at MIS

Brooklyn, MI (Sports Network) - Kasey Kahne won the pole for Sunday's 3M Performance 400 Nextel Cup race at the Michigan International Speedway. The No.9 Evernham Dodge driver circled the two-mile, high-speed oval in 38.784 seconds (185.644 m.p.h.).

The pole victory was Kahne's fourth of the season and 10th of his Cup career.

"The track was pretty free, I think everybody out here was battling that and we were just able to get the throttle down a little quicker than the other guys," said Kahne. "Hopefully the start of good things this weekend."

Kahne has won three races this season, twice from the pole (Atlanta, Texas) and once from the ninth position (Charlotte).

Starting on the front row with Kahne will be Jeff Gordon who posted a second- best time of 38.805 seconds.

Brian Vickers (38.920) and series points leader Jimmie Johnson (38.931), both teammates of Gordon at Hendrick Motorsports, will make up row two.

"I'm real proud of these guys," said Vickers. "In qualifying practice the first run we were way too loose, the second it was too tight and we met in the middle."

Like Carl Edwards last year, Denny Hamlin has exploded on the scene in a big way. With four top-10 finishes in the last five events, the rookie has climbed to ninth in the standings.

On Sunday he collected his first Nextel Cup victory at Pocono of all places. A track unlike any other. A track that he had never been on. A track he learned by playing computer games.

Yet late Sunday afternoon there he was in Victory Lane. He even had to overcome a left-rear tire blowout that sent him spinning across the grass.

Over the last five races Hamlin has jumped from 19th to ninth overall.

Hamlin was 21st quickest in qualifying.

While Hamlin has been rising, Gordon has been headed in the opposite direction.

After Talladega, the No.24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver was sixth in the standings and solidly in the "Chase for the Nextel Cup." But three DNFs (did not finish) at Richmond, Charlotte and last week at Pocono have sent the team reeling.

Through 14 events, Gordon is 11th overall and looking in from outside at the "Chase" for possibly the second consecutive season.

Other notable drivers and their starting positions: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (6th), Mark Martin (8th), Greg Biffle (10th), Jeff Burton (12th), Kurt Busch (13th), Tony Stewart (17th), Kevin Harvick 19th) and Matt Kenseth (20th).

The race is set to begin on Sunday at 2 p.m. (et).