The Associated Press

AVONDALE, Ariz. - Ryan Newman set a rookie record with his series-leading sixth pole of the season, taking the top spot Friday at Phoenix International Raceway.

The 24-year-old Newman knocked Dale Earnhardt Jr. off the pole with a lap around the 1-mile oval at 132.655 mph. John Andretti went 132.597 to take the outside of the front row for Sunday's Checker Auto Parts 500.

Newman broke a tie with the late Davey Allison for the most poles by a first-year Winston Cup driver. Allison set the mark in 1987.

"I was worried about John (Andretti)," Newman said. "He was very fast in practice, and I knew he was going out after me."

Newman, fourth in the points and leading the series with 21 top-10 finishes, said this season has not exceeded all of his expectations.

"We've had too many engine problems for that," he said. "We've had one win and a lot of top-fives and top-10s, but you can always do better. I said at the start of the year, our goal was to finish in the top 10."

Newman's third pole in the last four races clinched the season qualifying award and gave him seven for his brief career.

Andretti won the pole here in 1999 and went on to finish eighth. Last year, he started second and wound up 39th.

"We're not going to do that again this year," he said. "We're going to do all the right things in practice and make it right."

Earnhardt wound up third at 132.333, followed by Jeff Gordon at 132.285, Dave Blaney at 132.115 and Kenny Wallace at 131.849.

Mark Martin, who trails Winston Cup leader Tony Stewart by 112 points going into the last two races, qualified seventh at 131.728. Stewart was 16th at 131.014.

Martin, penalized 25 points for an unapproved spring on his Ford last Sunday in Rockingham, N.C., knows he has to make inroads on Stewart's lead to have a real chance for the title in the final race, Nov.17, in Homestead, Fla.

"I'm just glad to be starting near the front," Martin said.

CART star Christian Fittipaldi, making his first Winston Cup start, put a Petty Dodge in at 17th with a lap of 131.009.

"Testing here last week helped us a little bit," said Fittipaldi, the nephew of Formula One and CART champion Emerson Fittipaldi.

EVERNHAM SPLIT: Ray Evernham has ended his one-year association with Ultra Motorsports, effectively costing driver Casey Atwood a permanent Winston Cup ride.

Jason Leffler, who raced on the Winston Cup series last season for Chip Ganassi and spent all of this year driving in the truck series, will drive the No.7 Dodge this weekend.

TRUCK SERIES: Kevin Harvick barely held off a late charge from Ted Musgrave and won the Chevy Silverado 150 NASCAR Craftsman Truck race Friday at Phoenix International Raceway. Harvick, a regular in NASCAR's Winston Cup circuit, won for the first time in 75 truck races.