Harvick captures pole for Sylvania 300

Kevin Harvick seems to be having no problem handling the pressure of his first time in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Friday at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Harvick won the pole for Sunday’s Sylvania 300.

Harvick claimed he didn’t get all he could have out of his No. 29 Chevrolet on its qualifying lap, but he got plenty. His lap at 132.282 mph was easily fastest on a day when only four of 10 drivers in the running for the Cup title managed top-10 qualifying runs.

As it was, it was good enough. Jeff Gordon, another championship Chaser this year, had been fastest at 131.751 mph to that point, but Harvick’s lap bumped the No. 24 Chevrolet the outside of Row 1.

“I don’t really care about qualifying,” Harvick admitted after winning his first pole since a year ago last weekend at Richmond. “It just doesn’t seem like it really effects what we do. But to start up front here where it’s hard to pass and where it always seems track position means as much as anything, it’s really important.”

Jimmie Johnson, who comes into the playoffs second in the standings, was a solid seventh fastest at 130.264, just behind rookie David Stremme. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start 13th, Kyle Busch 16th.

Allmendinger enters race

A.J. Allmendinger, the only American driver in the Champ Car World Series, is driving in today’s New Hampshire 200 NASCAR Craftsman Trucks race at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, the first of two planned starts with Bill Davis Racing this season.