Kevin Harvick doesn’t consider himself an exceptional qualifier. He doesn’t even think that qualifying well is necessarily mandatory for Nextel Cup success.

But he’ll gladly take Friday’s result at New Hampshire International Speedway where he knocked Jeff Gordon off the pole for Sunday’s Sylvania 300 by more than a tenth of a second.

“Everything is going really well. When you have momentum on your side, that’s something you can’t buy,” said Harvick, coming off a victory in last week’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond.

Harvick, driving the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, claimed his first Bud Pole of the season – fifth of his career ­­— at 132.282 mph. Gordon ran 121.751 with Kurt Busch third at 131.483.

Harvick enters the first of 10 Chase for the Cup races in third place. Gordon, a shade faster than Harvick in Friday morning’s practice, fell from fourth to ninth in points after last week’s 31st at Richmond.

“It was important to try to put Richmond behind us as fast as possible,” said Gordon.

Ryan Newman qualified fourth, followed by rookie Denny Hamlin, who turned the third-best lap among Chase qualifiers.

“I really don’t care about qualifying, to tell you the truth,” Harvick said. “It’s not that I don’t try. I just end up overdriving the thing or underdriving it. It just doesn’t seem I can often find a good balance on what I need to do in qualifying.

“(Today) the car was good, right off the trailer. When it’s comfortable and you can drive it hard, you can do well.”

Gordon said it was a “bit of a letdown” not to earn the pole. His lap time, posted midway through qualifying, stood until Harvick took the track, the 39th of 48 cars to attempt qualifying. “But that front row is a great starting position. I’m happy,” Gordon.

Busch said his Miller Lite team, which did not qualify for the Chase, is working on different setups to get a jump on 2007.

“I feel really good to be third with this unique setup,” he said. “I feel like we can get ahead (for next year) by not racing every race for points.”

The other Chase contenders and their qualifying positions: Jimmie Johnson, 7th; Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 13th; Kyle Busch, 16th; Jeff Burton, 22nd; Matt Kenseth, 25th; Mark Martin, 26th; Kasey Kahne, 33rd.

USA Today

Pos # Driver Sponsor Car

1 29 Kevin Harvick Reese’s Chevrolet
2 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
3 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
4 12 Ryan Newman Mobil 1 Dodge
5 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Chevrolet
6 40 David Stremme Lonestar Steakhouse Dodge
7 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet
8 16 Greg Biffle National Guard Ford
9 7 Robby Gordon Jim Beam Chevrolet
10 21 Ken Schrader Motorcraft Genuine Parts Ford
11 1 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet
12 25 Brian Vickers GMAC Chevrolet
13 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser Chevrolet
14 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge
15 38 David Gilliland M&M’s Ford
16 5 Kyle Busch Kellogg’s Chevrolet
17 01 Joe Nemechek U.S. Army Chevrolet
18 07 Clint Bowyer Jack Daniels Chevrolet
19 99 Carl Edwards Office Depot Ford
20 66 Jeff Green Best Buy Chevrolet
21 22 Dave Blaney Caterpillar Dodge
22 31 Jeff Burton Cingular Wireless Chevrolet
23 10 Scott Riggs Stanley Tools/Valvoline Dodge
24 42 Casey Mears Texaco/Havoline Dodge
25 17 Matt Kenseth DeWalt Ford
26 6 Mark Martin AAA Ford
27 45 Kyle Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge
28 96 Tony Raines DLP HDTV Chevrolet
29 43 Bobby Labonte Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge
30 14 Sterling Marlin Ginn Clubs & Resorts Chevrolet
31 41 Reed Sorenson Target Dodge
32 20 Tony Stewart The Home Depot Chevrolet
33 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge
34 32 Travis Kvapil Tide/Downy Chevrolet
35 55 Michael Waltrip NAPA Dodge
36 18 J.J. Yeley Interstate Batteries Chevrolet
37 88 Dale Jarrett UPS Ford
38 61 Chad Chaffin Fairfield Inn Dodge
39 4 Scott Wimmer Lucas Oil Chevrolet
40 49 Kevin Lepage LoansDepot.com Dodge
41 89 Morgan Shepherd Racing w/ Jesus Dodge
42 26 Jamie McMurray Crown Royal Ford
43 27 Ted Christopher Lilly Trucking Chevrolet

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