Logano leads pack of Fords to front at Martinsville Speedway

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) — Joey Logano has won the pole at Martinsville Speedway in a strong session for the Ford camp.

Logano turned a lap at 97.830 mph in Saturday qualifying to earn the top starting spot. His pole-winning run came roughly 90 minutes after Team Penske teammate Will Power won the pole for the IndyCar race in Austin, Texas.

Aric Almirola qualified second for Stewart-Haas Racing, Penske driver Brad Keselowski was third and Kevin Harvick was fourth as Ford drivers took the top four qualifying positions.

Five-time Martinsville winner Denny Hamlin qualified fifth in a Toyota for Sunday’s race on the short track. William Byron was sixth and the highest-qualifying Chevrolet driver.

Logano won at Martinsville last fall when he used his bumper to move Martin Truex Jr. out of his way in the final turn. The aggressive move earned Logano a spot in NASCAR’s championship race. He claimed his first Cup title three weeks later.