Gordon Captures Pole

Jeff Gordon continued to treat Charlotte Motor Speedway as his private playground by winning the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 in record fashion.

Gordon grabbed the top starting spot for Sunday’s 600-mile race by turning a fast lap of 183.861 mph - more than 1.1 mph better than the next-fastest effort.

Gordon’s lap, which broke his 1-year-old event qualifying record of 181.439, came three days after he won $300,000 in the Winston Cup circuit’s all-star event at Charlotte.

Bobby Labonte was the only driver who came even remotely close to Gordon’s pole-winning effort with a fast lap of 182.741, also in a Monte Carlo.

Spokane’s Chad Little qualified 18th with a speed of 180.403 in a Ford Thunderbird.