NASCAR at Pocono Raceway 2014 qualifying results: Kyle Larson captures 1st Sprint Cup pole

Featuring three distinct corners and a shape that resembles a triangle, Pocono Raceway has a deserved reputation for not being kind to rookies. But Kyle Larson is no ordinary rookie, proving as much by winning the pole in qualifying Friday.

Posting a lap at 183.438 mph, Larson bested Team Penske drivers Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. It was the first official career pole for Larson, who turned 22 Thursday. He was awarded the No. 1 starting position for the April 26 race at Richmond International Raceway after qualifying was canceled due to rain and the field was determined by practice speeds.

“To get a pole here, my first ‘real’ pole, feels great,” Larson said. “To come to a ‘tricky triangle’ like this, there is no other race track like it. It’s fun because you get to shift and hit your marks. It’s difficult, so I’m glad I could win the pole. It feels great.”

Larson has drawn comparisons to Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart with all three having backgrounds in sprint car racing. Accordingly, he entered the season with high expectations and has delivered with four top-fives and nine top-10s in 20 starts. Though winless, Larson is ranked 12th in points and currently would qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

“Kyle Larson is a special individual, and talent like that comes around only every so often,” Gordon said Friday. “Because I am a huge fan of sprint cars and came from that background, to see what he’s done in a sprint car at such a young age, and to make it in the Cup Series at such a young age, to me he’s been pretty spectacular.”

Recognizing the opportunity at hand, Larson said he had “butterflies” entering the third round of qualifying. Logano appeared to be the car to beat having paced the first two sessions, but on his final lap Larson broke the track record to grab the pole.

“I knew we had a shot at the pole after the second round,” Larson said. “I was nervous and I hit all three corners about as good as I could, so I was really excited about that.

“It’s really exciting. I got the pole at Richmond, but that was in practice. So, this is a legit pole and I’m really happy about that, and it looks like a really good weekend.”

Kurt Busch and Gordon qualified fourth and fifth, respectively.

“I felt so good, I would have bet millions of dollars on that lap being the pole,” Logano said. “I kept going faster and faster, and then I get beat. It sucks.”

Rounding out the top 10 were Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Danica Patrick.

All 43 drivers entered qualified for Sunday’s GoBowling.com 400.