BUSCH

• Franchitti wins first Nationwide pole

  
  

  Watkins Glen, NY (Sports Network) - Dario Franchitti's return to the No.40 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge in the NASCAR Nationwide Series started off with a bang Saturday as he captured his first career Nationwide pole. Franchitti rounded the 2.45-mile road course in 72.696 seconds (121.327 m.p.h.) during the ninth and final group in qualifying.

  Franchitti's first pole victory came in his 16th Nationwide start.

  "There hasn't been too many up-points, but this is definitely one of them," Franchitti said. "I got to thank the guys at the team. This Fastenal Dodge was really good there. We were a little loose in a couple of areas, but the places it needed to be good, it was." Franchitti, the 2007 IndyCar Series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, has not been in the No.40 Nationwide car for Ganassi since a month ago when he finished 26th at Chicagoland. He lost his Sprint Cup ride in July when Ganassi ceased operations of its No.40 team. Franchitti is expected to drive the car in six more Nationwide events this season after Watkins Glen.

  Starting alongside Franchitti will be Robby Gordon, who posted the second best time of 73.078.

  Jimmie Johnson (73.105) and Denny Hamlin (73.188) will start on the second row.

  Other drivers of note and their starting positions are Brad Keselowski (fifth), Kevin Harvick (sixth), Kyle Busch (seventh), Carl Edwards (15th), Clint Bowyer (17th) and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (18th).

  Bowyer currently holds a 168-point lead over Edwards in the championship standings.

  Edwards chipped 12 more points away from Bowyer's lead after a sixth-place finish at Montreal last week. Bowyer came in ninth. Keselowski finished 12th and fell one spot to third, 184 points out of the top spot.

  Bowyer has finished 15th and 16th in two starts at The Glen, while Edwards has posted finishes of 11th, 27th and 32nd in his three races there. Keselowski will make his first start there today.

  Harvick won last year's race at The Glen. He scored his 31st career victory and moved into a tie with Jack Ingram for second on the series' all-time wins list.

  Mark Martin holds the record for most victories with 48. Harvick will drive the No.33 Chevrolet.

  Burney Lamar, Kenny Hendrick, Derrike Cope, Larry Gunselman and Alex Garcia all failed to qualify.

  Today's race is scheduled to start around 3:00 p.m. (et).

  08/09 12:49:42 ET