Logano claims Martinsville pole

Newman is second; Elliott, 19, to start 27th in Cup debut.

Daytona 500 champion Joey Logano won the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway, and Chase Elliott earned the right to make his series debut by qualifying 27th.

Logano, in a Ford, turned a fast lap at 98.461 mph in the third round of qualifying Friday, edging the Chevrolet of Ryan Newman (98.328) to win the 10th pole of his career and his second this season. It’s his first at the .526-mile speedway.

“You win anything at Martinsville, it’s a big deal,” said Logano, adding that he had an advantage because he needed only five laps to get through the first two rounds.

“Nothing but good things happen from starting first.”

Newman was pleased despite coming up short.

“I felt like we were super-competitive and just got beat by a little bit,” he said.

Martin Truex Jr. (98.018), Jeff Gordon (97.613) and Jimmie Johnson (97.583) complete the top five.

Gordon and Johnson have each won eight times on the oldest, shortest oval in NASCAR’s top series.

Elliott, 19, who will replace the retiring Gordon at Hendrick Motorsports in 2016, needed to finish in the top 36 of the first round to assure himself a spot in the field.

“That was goal No. 1 for us. Big relief. We’re excited,” he said. “I don’t know how I feel about being excited being 27th, but at the same time I’m really excited to make our first Cup race.”

Australian Will Power, the reigning series champion, was fastest in the first practice for the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday in Florida. Power, in a DallaraChevrolet, drove a fast lap of 105.416 mph on the 1.8mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit where he got his first of three victories last season.

IndyCar has not raced since Aug. 30, making this offseason one of the longest in series history.

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