Carl Edwards wins pole for NASCAR race in Phoenix in record time

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Carl Edwards won the pole position Saturday for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, where Edwards won the most recent Cup race last November.

Edwards turned a lap of 137.279 mph in his No. 99 Ford on the one-mile oval, breaking the prior PIR qualifying record of 136.389 mph he set before the November race.

Kurt Busch qualified second and will start alongside Edwards on the front row. Kasey Kahne was third and Kyle Busch, Kurt’s younger brother, was fourth.

Trevor Bayne, the 20-year-old surprise winner of last weekend’s Daytona 500, qualified 33rd in the 43-car field. Dale Earnhart Jr., a two-time winner at Phoenix, was 35th.

Edwards is on a roll. He won the final two races last season, including the Phoenix race, then finished second to Bayne in the Daytona 500.