Logano wins third consecutive pole at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE,VA.>> Joey Logano won the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race atMartinsville on Friday.

It is the third consecutive pole for Logano on the smallest and oldest track in the premier series. He’s the first driver to do that on the 0.526mile oval since Jeff Gordon won three in a row in 2003-04.

Logano, the fastest in all three rounds of qualifying, barely edged Kasey Kahne with a speed of 97.043 mph while Kahne’s best lapwas at 97.033 mph. Logano ran five laps in the last session, Kahne ran just three.

“We don’t have one of those trophies yet,” Logano said in the infield media center, pointing at the grandfather clock that will be awarded to Sunday’s winner. “We’ve figured out the qualifying part really well.”

The last time the series visitedMartinsville, Logano had perhaps his best chance towin, but a simmering feud withMatt Kenseth boiled over and Kenseth took out Logano while he was leading the race with 46 laps remaining.