Newman puts another Penkse team on the pole

CONCORD, N.C. -- Ryan Newman won the pole for the Coca-Cola 600, giving owner Roger Penske cars on the front row in both of Sunday's races.

Newman, last year's top rookie, ran a lap at 185.312 mph in his No. 12 Dodge on Friday to qualify first for NASCAR's longest race of the year. Halfway across the country, Helio Castroneves is on the pole for the Indianapolis 500.

Castroneves is trying to win his third-straight 500 in a Penske-owned car, and Newman will try to give Penske a sweep in "The Double."

"That's our goal, and I think it's pretty cool," Newman said.

"Sunday is a big day for Penske Racing."

Elliott Sadler qualified second for the Coca-Cola 600 in a Ford, Mike Skinner was third in a Pontiac, followed by Jeff Gordon and rookie Jack Sprague.

Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart qualified sixth, followed by Joe Nemechek, Dave Blaney, Michael Waltrip and Johnny Benson.

Rusty Wallace, Newman's veteran teammate at Penske Racing South, qualified 34th.

Robby Gordon, who plans to run in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, needed a provisional to make the field and is scheduled to start 38th.

His qualifying position didn't really matter, though, because Robby Gordon will miss the pre-race driver's meeting. He'll commute from Indy and will be sent to the back of the field at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"Because I'm most likely going to have to start last, we felt there was no real sense in going down and working on qualifying set-ups," Gordon said. "We focused on race setup and the car was pretty good."

Newman, meanwhile, will try to finish the Coca-Cola for the first time.

Penske entered him in the race two years ago, and Newman responded by winning his first career pole.

Penske had a 1-2 finish at Indy that day with Castroneves and runner-up Gil de Ferran, but his chances of a sweep were denied two hours later when Newman wrecked out of the NASCAR race 12 laps in.

Newman went into the race last year fresh off a victory in The Winston the week before, but his engine blew 100 laps into it.

"We haven't made 600 yet," Newman said. "Two years ago I just tried too hard and spun the car out by myself, and last year we broke the motor. Starting up front in a 600-mile race is pretty important. I just hope we can have a good run Sunday because that's what we really need.

"I'm looking forward to another race so we can redeem ourselves."

Newman has had a rocky start to his second full season: He runs near the front or wrecks out. It started when he flipped his car down the frontstretch in the season-opening Daytona 500 and culminated last week when he spun out in the second segment of NASCAR's all-star race.

Convinced he wrecked because Stewart bumped him from behind, Newman angrily waited for him to pass on the track. But NASCAR sent a truck to pick him up before he could confront Stewart.

After watching replays, Newman realized it was his fault.

"We've had an up-and-down season, more downs than ups and sometimes some overs," Newman said. "The bottom line is you've got to go on. You've got to keep your chin up. We've been fast and that's what's pulled me through it all."

Meanwhile, Bill Elliott qualified 32nd for the race using a special sole to protect his broken left foot. Elliott was injured in a wreck during The Winston.

"My foot's not hurting me," he said. "I've just got to figure out how to brake correctly with this new deal."

Jimmie Johnson, who nearly won the 600 last year after starting from the pole, didn't make a qualifying run after breaking a part in his motor.