NASCAR

• Carpentier surprises in Loudon

  
  

  Loudon, NH (Sports Network) - Patrick Carpentier took advantage of cooler conditions after a one-hour, 45-minute rain delay and captured the pole for Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at the New Hampshire International Speedway. The top-five on the grid all qualified after the rain delay.

  The No.10 Gillett Evernham Dodge driver circled the 1.058-mile oval in 29.349 seconds (129.776 m.p.h.). The pole victory was the first of the former road racer's career.

  "The car was good this morning, but the guys made a few changes...and really hooked it up," said Carpentier.

  Starting alongside Carpentier will be Bobby Labonte who posted a time of 29.512 seconds.

  Kevin Harvick (29.531) and Scott Riggs (29.531) will make up row two.

  Other drivers of note and their starting positions: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (fifth), Matt Kenseth (ninth), Kasey Kahne (14th), Carl Edwards (17th), Clint Bowyer (18th), Jeff Gordon (19th), Jimmie Johnson (23rd), Kyle Busch (27th), Tony Stewart (28th) and Jeff Burton (31st).

  It was just six weeks ago that Kenseth was seemingly out of the "Chase for the Sprint Cup." Just after the race at Richmond in early May, the No.17 Roush Fenway Racing driver was mired in 22nd place more than 200 points behind the 12th and final position in the "playoffs." But Kenseth, who along with Johnson are the only drivers to make the "Chase" in each of the first four years, began his push with a sixth-place finish at Darlington and since then has posted seven consecutive top-10s. After his eighth-place result last Sunday in Sonoma, Kenseth finds himself in 12th place and in the "Chase." Harvick is 13th overall and just two markers behind Kenseth. David Ragan (-47), Brian Vickers (-104), Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman (-105) and Martin Truex Jr. (-107) are all knocking on the doorstep. Even Travis Kvapil, who is 216 points behind and doing a great job in the No.28 Yates Ford, has a chance.

  Last year's race was won by Denny Hamlin, who will start 12th in the 43-car field.

  Tony Raines and Marcos Ambrose failed to qualify for the race.

  The green flag is scheduled to drop on Sunday around 2 p.m. (et).

  06/27 19:26:34 ET