CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

• Sadler tops Kahne for Pocono truck pole

  
  

  Long Pond, PA (Sports Network) - Elliott Sadler won the pole position for Saturday's inaugural Pocono Mountains 125 Camping World Truck Series race at Pocono Raceway.

  Sadler, the last driver to make his qualifying attempt in the 38-truck field, knocked his fellow Sprint Cup Series competitor Kasey Kahne from the top spot after posting a lap of 162.602 m.p.h. He claimed his first career truck pole in his seventh start.

  "It was tough, and it was fun," Sadler said. "I got a little free through there, but [turn] three was fast." The series revised its qualifying format for Pocono, with Friday's practice speeds determining the qualifying order. The slowest truck went first, and the fastest, which was Sadler, came out last. Trucks were released in 25-second increments.

  Kahne, driving the No.18 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports, will try to remain undefeated in the series. Busch is in Iowa for Saturday's Nationwide Series race there. Kahne won in each of his two career truck starts, which came at the tail end of the 2004 season.

  Denny Hamlin, another Sprint Cup regular, qualified third, followed by Austin Dillon and Aric Almirola.

  Todd Bodine, the current points leader, Justin Lofton, Ron Hornaday Jr., Stacy Compton and Mike Skinner completed the top-10.

  Bodine holds a 177-point advantage over Almirola.

  Michelle Theriault and Jerick Johnson failed to qualify.

  The 125-mile race at Pocono is scheduled to start shortly after 1:00 p.m. (et).

  07/31 11:55:32 ET