LOUDON, N.H. (AP) -- Ryan Newman has won the pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Tony Stewart was second to give Stewart-Haas Racing a front-row sweep.
Newman turned a track-record lap of 135.232 mph Friday and Stewart, his boss and teammate, was right behind at 135.064. They were the only drivers to top 135 mph.
David Reutimann, Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski round out the top five.
Newman won his first pole of the season, a far cry from the 20 combined poles he earned in 2003-04.
He hopes the strong start will translate into his first victory of the season. Newman enters Sunday's Sprint Cup race ninth in the points standings.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
