Kyle Busch claims pole at Pocono

Autoracing Betting Lines

06/04/2010 - Long Pond, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kyle Busch will start on the pole for Sunday's Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 after topping the qualifying charts at Pocono Raceway.

Busch, who will make his 200th career Sprint Cup Series start this weekend, turned a lap of 169.485 m.p.h. for his second pole of the season and the seventh of his career.

"To start on the pole for race 200 is going to mean a lot, and of course, it will mean even more if we can win this thing," said Busch, who won the pole at the 2.5-triangular Pocono track for the first time.

Busch is currently 29 points behind leader Kevin Harvick, who will start 22nd.

Clint Bowyer qualified on the outside pole after posting a lap of 169.138 m.p.h.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the third spot, while Kurt Busch, the winner of last weekend's 600-mile race at Charlotte, and Denny Hamlin, who won at Pocono for the third time last August, rounded out the top-five.

Tony Stewart, the defending race winner, qualified sixth.

"The first hour of practice, we weren't very good, then we got going through the last half-hour," Stewart said. "This has been a place where we haven't been that good lately, so we're going to try and get good again."

Juan Pablo Montoya was seventh, followed by Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon.

Four-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson will start 25th.

Terry Cook and Ted Musgrave failed to qualify.

The 500-mile race at Pocono is scheduled to start just after 1:00 p.m. (et).

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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds. 

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

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