Busch wins playoff pole

JOLIET, Ill. — Kyle Busch opened his bid for a second NASCAR Cup championship with a lap of 187.963 mph to win the pole Friday night at Chicagoland Speedway.

Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin will start on the front row, and fellow Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. was third. Truex has four wins and the Furniture Row Racing driver is considered the favorite to win his first career Cup title.