Edwards stays hot and wins pole at Bristol

Carl Edwards wins pole at Bristol Motor Speedway

Carl Edwards is looking for back-to-back Sharpie 500 wins and started off the weekend on the right foot by winning the pole in Friday's NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying session at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Edwards turned a lap of 121.860 mph in his Roush Fenway Racing Office Depot Ford to win his first pole of 2008 and first career one at Bristol.

"That's as fast as I could go," said Edwards, who slapped the wall exiting the fourth turn on his lap. "I wish I hadn't hit the wall, but I imagine it will be worse than that by the time the race is over. Bob did a really good job because it was just like it was in practice."

David Reutimann, fresh from his contract extension announcement at Michael Waltrip Racing, qualified second in the No. 44 UPS Toyota.

"Qualifying is one thing, but the race is another," Reutimann said of his run. "We still have some work to do for the race. I feel like we're decent, we just have to get it to be more consistent."

Jeff Gordon, Regan Smith and Bill Elliott rounded out the top five.

Kevin Harvick, Ken Schrader (in the Hall of Fame Racing No. 96 Toyota), A.J. Allmendinger, Kyle Busch and Elliott Sadler rounded out the top-10 qualifiers.

Three drivers failed to make the race: Patrick Carpentier, Johnny Sauter and Jeff Green.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start 40th on an owner points provisional after posting the 43rd-fastest time overall. Jamie McMurray and Michael Waltrip also needed provisionals to make the field.

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