LOUDON, N.H. (AP) - Carl Edwards has mastered the art of starting first at New Hampshire.
It's winning the race that has caused him fits.
Edwards turned a lap of 135.453 mph to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He took the top spot Friday for the third time in the last four New Hampshire races and he won his sixth pole of the season.
"We need to turn that into a race win," Edwards said.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has failed to win in 24 career starts at New Hampshire. Edwards finished seventh and fifth off his two poles last season. Edwards would advance to the second round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship with a win Sunday.
He'd rather take the checkered flag in the No. 19 Toyota and not have to worry about taking care of business next week at Dover.
"If we have a bad day here, I'm going to be real upset about it for about three or four days and then if you have a bad day at Dover, you're going to be upset for the rest of the year," he said.
Edwards led the way for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship drivers. Martin Truex Jr. followed his Chase win at Chicagoland Speedway with a solid qualifying run to join Edwards on the front row.
Ryan Newman will start third, followed by Chase drivers Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray, and Matt Kenseth.
Chase drivers Chris Buescher and Austin Dillon failed to advance out of the first round of qualifying. Fellow Chase drivers Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart failed to get out of the second round.
Edwards won his 22nd career pole. He had never won more than three poles in a season.
"The cars are great, but it's not just that," Edwards said.
It's Toyota. It's crew chief Dave Rogers. It's the support of having three stellar teammates in Kenseth, Hamlin and Kyle Busch (who starts 12th).
Kenseth has won the last two New Hampshire races for JGR.