LONG POND, Pa. � Joey Logano couldn't help but look over his shoulder in recent weeks with rumblings that Carl Edwards might be angling to take his seat at Joe Gibbs Racing.
By Russ Hamilton Sr., AP
Joey Logano smiles as he talks with the media after qualifying for the pole position for Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa.
By Russ Hamilton Sr., AP
Joey Logano smiles as he talks with the media after qualifying for the pole position for Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa.
After winning the pole Saturday for Sunday's Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono Raceway, Logano will once again be looking over his shoulder ? at the entire NASCAR Sprint Cup field.
"It's really a big deal," Logano said. "Obviously, there have been a lot of rumors around our team lately. At the same time, I don't know if everyone's realized how good we've been doing. We've been building a lot of momentum."
Logano is winless in 75 races since his only Cup victory June 28, 2009, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. After 16 top-10 finishes last year, 2011 has been particularly frustrating. He's finished in the top 10 in five of 20 races.
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STANDINGS: Sprint Cup points leaders
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STORY: Edwards says Roush Fenway 'right place'
But the tide has turned recently. Logano's No. 20 Home Depot Toyota has finished sixth or better in three of the last five Cup events.
Perhaps the off-track pressure from Edwards, who ultimately elected to re-sign with Roush Fenway Racing, has had a positive effect.
"I just focused in 100%," Logano said after earning the third pole of his career (second this season). "It's been paying off lately. ? I think confidence in the whole team is definitely up."
Logano heard all the rumblings that his job could be on the line with Edwards possibly on the move.
"When you're watching TV and you see (reports) come up on the screen, how do you not think about it?" he said. "It's right there in front of you.
"But when your (team) owners are behind you, saying it's all rumors, what do you have to worry about, really? As far as I knew, they were just rumors. Until Joe (Gibbs) or J.D. (Gibbs) tell me I'm not driving, that's what I go with."
Logano has yet to have a top-10 finish in five career starts on Pocono's 2.5-mile triangular layout. His best finish was an 11th this June. But he does have something going for him ? teammate Denny Hamlin has won four of his 11 starts at Pocono.
"Lucky for me," Logano said. "He's proven to be pretty good here. It definitely helps to talk to him and pick his brain about what he works on here, what he does with his race car. Every time I come here I feel like I've gotten a little better."
Logano's lap at 172.05 mph made him the youngest pole winner at Pocono at age 21. Kasey Kahne, who had been the youngest, was second Saturday at 171.65 and Hamlin (171.45) was sixth.
There will be some hungry Toyota drivers starting up front Sunday.
Red Bull's Kahne last saw victory lane at Atlanta on Sept. 6, 2009, 67 races ago when he was in a Dodge for Richard Petty Racing. He know he needs a win if he expects to qualify for the Chase.
"We want to win races and we want to make the Chase and I feel like the Red Bull guys are capable if we put an entire race together," said Kahne, 55 points out of Chase qualifying position with six races to go. "We've been close, but I don't think we've put that entire race together."
Martin Truex Jr., the third qualifier in his Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota (171.49), hasn't won in 151 races since his June 4, 2007 win at Dover International Speedway.
"It's been awhile since we qualified up front," said Truex, who has finished no better than eighth since the third race of the season. "During our second practice we focused on race stuff and (ended up) qualifying in a totally different package than what we brought. I missed Turn 3 by a couple of inches and that was probably the difference."
Edwards, who leads the Sprint Cup standings, qualified fourth (171.47) and was thrilled with his lap.
"That's the best qualifying lap I've ever had here," Edwards said. "I've got to say that Joey Logano's lap was a very, very fast lap. Mine felt amazing."
Montoya close:Juan Pablo Montoya told the Sporting News that a deal to return to Earnhardt Ganassi Racing for 2012 "is pretty much done." Montoya said minor details still need to be worked out but the deal should be finalized in "a couple weeks, max."
Montoya, 35, is in his fifth Sprint Cup season and has won twice, with both wins coming on road courses.
Trucks lineup: Kevin Harvick (Chevrolet) started on the pole alongside Kyle Busch (Toyota) for Saturday's Camping World Series truck race, the Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service 125.
Pastrana on hold: Action-sports icon Travis Pastrana, who required surgery for a broken right ankle he suffered attempting a back flip at last week's X Games, has put his Nationwide Series debut on hold until 2012. Pastrana had intended to race at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis last Saturday.
"To give my ankle and foot time to heal properly we have decided to wait until 2012 to make my NASCAR debut," Pastrana said in a statement. "I probably could have been ready for the final couple of races in 2011, but it just makes more sense to start fresh in 2012. We are already starting to talk about testing and what I need to do to prepare for next season."
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