Edwards put Gibbs team on NH pole

LOUDON, N.H. – Carl Edwards will start from the pole in his bid to give Joe Gibbs Racing its fourth straight victory.

Edwards continued JGR’s dominance with a lap of 137.980 mph to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup pole Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Kevin Harvick was second, the boost he needed after finishing 42nd last week in the Chase opener at Chicagoland. Kurt Busch, Harvick’s Stewart-Haas Racing’s teammate, was third.

Edwards has found a qualifying groove at New Hampshire, sweeping the top spot for both races this season.

“We got a great start to the Chase and we’re just keeping that rolling,” Edwards said.

JGR is the clear favorite to deliver Toyota its first Cup championship. Denny Hamlin rallied from a spin on Lap 2 that dropped him a lap down to win the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship opener last week at Chicagoland Speedway.

JGR has won three consecutive Cup races and nine of the last 12. After one race in the Chase, the top of the points standings are all JGR: Matt Kenseth is the leader, followed by Hamlin, Edwards and Kyle Busch.

“Certainly the last few months, the JGR Toyotas have been strong, so hopefully we can continue to improve and continue to keep getting better the next nine weeks and keep getting some results,” Kenseth said.

Harvick on the ropes

New Hampshire Motor Speedway had some fun with NASCAR’s latest prize fight and stuck a free-standing heavy bag with a pair of red Everlast gloves in the motorhome lot.

The sign next to the boxing equipment read: “Chase Stress Reliever.”

There was no reason for any drivers to lace up the gloves and channel their inner Floyd Mayweather and spar a few rounds Friday against the bag. The only bobbing and weaving came in their responses for reaction to the bout Sunday between Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson.

“I didn’t see it and I don’t know,” 2003 champion Matt Kenseth said. “I practiced that one this morning.”

Added Daytona 500 champ Joey Logano: “Emotions seem to get fired up pretty quick and I don’t really have a reaction.”

Harvick and Johnson didn’t have much of one, either.

Asked about Johnson, Harvick pulled his best Marshawn Lynch and said, “I’m just here so I don’t get fined.”

Johnson, the six-time champ, said he hasn’t talked to Harvick.

Round 1 may have gone to Harvick in the motorhome lot. But Harvick is on the ropes on the track as the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship shifts to New Hampshire.

The big question is, can Harvick win a race to stay in the Chase.

Harvick, the defending Sprint Cup, champion is buried in 15th in the standings and will likely need a win Sunday or next week at Dover to advance to the next round.