By Reid Spencer

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(June 25, 2010)

LOUDON , N.H. —Juan Montoya proved Friday that you don’t have to run a perfect lap to win a pole in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing.

Despite sliding in Turn 3 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Montoya posted a lap at 132.337 mph to edge Kasey Kahne (132.158 mph) for the Coors Light Pole Award for Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at the 1.058-mile oval.

“It was a good lap until Turn 3, where I got sideways,” said Montoya, who won his first pole of the year, his second at New Hampshire and the third of his career. “I got sideways, still in the gas, and I thought, ‘They’re going to kill me.’  I was about to press the button (on the radio) and say, ‘Sorry, guys, I got loose,’ and they go, ‘Oh, good job!’

“I nailed (Turns) 1 and 2 and made such a big gap that, even with the mistake in 3, we were quick enough to get the pole.”

Kurt Busch (132.062 mph) qualified third, followed by Mark Martin (131.998 mph) and Ryan Newman (131.966 mph). David Reutimann, Joe Nemechek, Sam Hornish Jr., Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson will start from positions six through 10, respectively. Cup points leader Kevin Harvick qualified 24th.

Currently 20th in the standings and 161 points out of 12th place, Montoya is a long shot make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, but a string of strong finishes could change that. The Colombian driver made the Chase last year, but bad luck has dogged him throughout the 2010 season.

“We have more top 10s, more top fives, and we have much faster racecars than we had last year at this point,” Montoya said. “But we had a blown engine (at Fontana , Calif. ), we got together with my teammate (Jamie McMurray at Las Vegas ), and we’ve been involved in I don’t know how many wrecks from other people.

“It sucks, because we’ve been right behind the wreck—like a row or two rows behind where they wreck—and they block the whole track, and right there you’re just a passenger. And we had like seven of those this year. When you have that many bad races, and you’re only 160 points out, I think you did pretty good.”

Notes: Travis Kvapil and Mike Bliss failed to qualify for the 43-car field. … Subbing for Robby Gordon, Bobby Labonte hit the wall in Friday’s practice and did not make a qualifying attempt because the No. 7 team couldn’t get a backup ready in time. Labonte will race Sunday on an owner points provisional. … Reed Sorenson qualified 29th for his first start in the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota. … Andy Lally will start 40th in his Cup debut. Lally is driving the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet, the ride Labonte vacated.

Below is the starting grid for the 2010 Lenox Industrial Tools 301: