NASCAR at Pocono Raceway 2014 qualifying results: Kyle Larson captures first Sprint Cup pole

Rookie Kyle Larson set the pace in Sprint Cup qualifying Friday at Pocono Raceway.

Featuring three distinct corners and a shape that resembles a triangle Pocono Raceway has a deserved reputation for not being kind to rookies. But Kyle Larson is no ordinary rookie, proving as much by winning the pole in qualifying Friday.

Posting a lap at 183.438 mph, Larson bested Team Penske drivers Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. It was the first official career pole for Larson, who turned 22 Thursday. He was awarded the No. 1 starting position for the April 26 race at Richmond International Raceway after qualifying was canceled due to rain and the field was determined by practice speeds.

"To get a pole here, my first ‘real' pole, feels great," Larson said. "To come to a ‘tricky triangle' like this there is no other race track like it. It's fun because you get to shift and hit your marks. It's difficult so I'm glad I could win the pole it feels great."

Larson, who turned 22 Thursday, has drawn comparisons to Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart with all three having backgrounds in sprint car racing. The driver for Chip Ganassi Racing entered the season with high expectations and has delivered with four top-fives and nine top-10s in 20 starts. Though winless, Larson is ranked 12th in points and currently would qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

"Kyle Larson is a special individual and talent like that comes around only every so often," Gordon said Friday." Because I am a huge fan of sprint cars and came from that background, to see what he's done in a sprint car at such a young age, and to make it in the Cup Series at such a young age, to me he's been pretty spectacular."

Recognizing the opportunity at hand, Larson said he had "butterflies" entering the third round of qualifying. Logano appeared to be the car to beat having paced the first two sessions, but on his final Larson broke the track record to grab the pole.

"I knew we had a shot at the pole after the second round," Larson said. "I was nervous and I hit all three corners about as good as I could, so I was really excited about that.

"It's really exciting. I got the pole at Richmond, but that was in practice. So, this is a legit pole and I'm really happy about that and it looks like a really good weekend."

Kurt Busch and Gordon qualified fourth and fifth, respectively.

"I felt so good, I would have bet millions of dollars on that lap being the pole," Logano said. "I kept going faster and faster, and then I get beat. I sucks."

Rounding out the top 10 were Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Danica Patrick.

All 43 drivers entered qualified for Sunday's GoBowling.com 400.

GoBowling.com 400 starting lineup

Position	Driver	Speed
1	Kyle Larson	183.438
2	Joey Logano	183.408
3	Brad Keselowski	182.700
4	Kurt Busch	182.660
5	Jeff Gordon	182.611
6	Kevin Harvick	182.090
7	Kyle Busch	182.020
8	Jamie McMurray	182.017
9	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	181.741
10	Danica Patrick	181.646
11	Austin Dillon	181.605
12	Kasey Kahne	181.280
13	Denny Hamlin	181.159
14	Clint Bowyer	181.156
15	Brian Vickers	180.850
16	Tony Stewart	180.716
17	Jimmie Johnson	180.502
18	Matt Kenseth	180.274
19	Martin Truex Jr.	180.133
20	A.J. Allmendinger	179.986
21	Ryan Newman	179.878
22	Justin Allgaier	179.412
23	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	179.304
24	Casey Mears	179.069
25	Greg Biffle	179.169
26	Carl Edwards	178.998
27	Marcos Ambrose	178.916
28	Aric Almirola	178.912
29	Paul Menard	178.862
30	David Gilliland	178.049
31	Josh Wise	177.704
32	Landon Cassill	177.676
33	Cole Whitt	177.560
34	Travis Kvapil	177.399
35	Reed Sorenson	177.354
36	Alex Bowman	176.502
37	Ryan Truex	176.429
38	Michael Annett	176.412
39	David Ragan	176.094
40	Dave Blaney	174.801
41	Joe Nemechek	172.285
42	Alex Kennedy	172.199
43	Johnny Sauter	166.162

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