Kyle Busch captured the pole for Sunday’s Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway when he turned a lap at 169.485 mph in Sprint Cup qualifying Friday afternoon.

The pole was the second of the season for Busch, who is second in series points, 29 behind Kevin Harvick. His other pole came at Richmond International Raceway on May 1. Busch wound up winning that race in his Toyota Camry

“Pretty good piece,” Busch said of his car.

It was the seventh pole of his career. He will be starting his 200th Cup race on Sunday.

Second fastest in qualifying at the 2.5-mile triangular track, was Clint Bowyer in his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. His top lap was at 169.138 mph.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Hendrick Motorsports was third and Kurt Busch of Penske Racing, who swept the Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 the last two weekends at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was fourth.

“We’ll take it,” Busch said. “Steve Addington (his crew chief) and my guys are just rockin’ and rollin’ right now.”

Denny Hamlin, a three-time winner at Pocono and Kyle Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, was fifth.

Harvick was 22nd.

Jimmie Johnson, going for his fifth straight championship but mired in a spring slump, was 25th.

Matt Kenseth, third in points – 117 beind Harvick – was 15th.

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