Busch captures pole

Kahne will start second in 600

Kyle Busch races beyond his years. He's more superstitious than a lot of 23-year-olds, too.

The hottest driver in the Sprint Cup declined a $50 bill from outgoing Lowe's Motor Speedway president Humpy Wheeler on Thursday, then continued his qualifying dominance at the track to earn the pole for the Coca-Cola 600.

Busch laughed off the offer from Wheeler, who was patrolling pit road a day after announcing he'll retire after 33 years at the track. Busch then turned in a lap of 185.433 mph in his No. 18 Toyota to edge out last week's All-Star race winner Kasey Kahne (185.300), who will join him on the front row Sunday for NASCAR's longest race.

"He took a fifty out of his pocket and then he was signing it," Busch said of Wheeler. "I said, 'I don't want that.' He gave it to one of my crew guys, and I said, 'Don't take that.' So I put it back in his pocket."

Brian Vickers qualified third, giving Toyota two of the top three spots. Greg Biffle will start fourth, followed by David Ragan and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Busch started from the pole in last week's All-Star race and dominated early before bowing out with engine trouble. Busch also started from the pole for last week's Craftsman Truck Series race. He led the most laps but was involved in a wreck and finished 13th.

Busch will be the favorite to win his fourth Sprint Cup race of the season on Sunday. He has seven top-five finishes in 11 races and holds a 79-point lead over Jeff Burton in the season standings.

BRUTON SMITH BUYS SPEEDWAY: Kentucky Speedway moved a step closer to landing a coveted Sprint Cup Series race when Speedway Motorsports Inc. on Thursday added it to its growing portfolio of tracks.

Kentucky's previous owners have fought for a Cup race, and SMI owner Bruton Smith said he wants a date for his new track by 2009.

Just how he gets one at his eighth facility remains to be seen.

"We will continue to wonder about that," Smith teased. "We'll certainly be working on that."

Smith has battled for years with NASCAR over the awarding of Cup races, and Kentucky already has unsuccessfully sued to get its own date.

Track officials filed an antitrust lawsuit in 2005 against NASCAR and Smith rival International Speedway Inc., but it was dismissed in January. It's now in the U.S. Court of Appeals.

There was immediate speculation Smith has his eye on Pocono Raceway, which currently has two Cup races. If he purchased that track, he could move one or both of its dates to any of his speedways.

"I'm always interested in a speedway," Smith said.