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<p>LONG POND &#8211; Ryan Blaney saved his best for last in Friday&#8217;s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup qualifying session at Pocono Raceway.</p><p>Blaney drove around the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway in 50.877 seconds (176.897 mph) for his second pole of the 2018 season. The 24-year-old driver, whose lone series win came at Pocono last year, knocked off Kevin Harvick in the final round to grab the top spot.</p><p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t get the speed to contend with Kevin the first two rounds,&#8221; Blaney said. &#8220;He was a solid tenth, tenth-and-a-half quicker than us and we made really good changes on our race car for the last round and I didn&#8217;t hit a very good Turn 1 both two laps.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Finally, we figured something out to where I could get through there a little bit better. They just did a great job of changing the car with what they had to work with to make it happen. We had speed all along, we just needed to hit a clean lap and that was pretty good.&#8221;</p><p>Harvick was fastest in the first two rounds of qualifying before being bested by Blaney in round three. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver finished runner-up in both Pocono races last year and has yet to win a Cup race at the Tricky Triangle.</p><p>&#8220;I slipped a little bit getting into [Turn] 3,&#8221; Harvick said about his qualifying run. &#8220;The car just started to slide on entry and I didn&#8217;t want to move the wheel any further. We picked up speed every round and that&#8217;s usually our goal and I said that before qualifying is to pick a pace and try to run that pace and better that pace a little bit better each round.</p><p>&#8220;It was a good qualifying run for us and we&#8217;re in the front. That&#8217;s where you want to be here.&#8221;</p><p>Ford drivers swept the front row for Sunday&#8217;s Pocono 400 with Jamie McMurray leading the Chevrolet camp in third (176.626 mph), followed by former Pocono pole-sitter Martin Truex Jr. in fourth (176.516 mph) in a Toyota.</p><p>Last July&#8217;s Pocono winner Kyle Busch completed the top-five in his No. 18 Red, White and Blue M&amp;M&#8217;s Toyota. Busch led the only practice session Friday morning.</p><p>Kyle Larson just barely missed the final round of qualifying in 13th after making a last-ditch effort advancing from 22nd in the final moments of round two.</p><p>&#8220;Just lost a ton of time in (Turn) 1,&#8221; Larson said. &#8220;The second time I went out I was pretty good. Austin (Dillon) I didn&#8217;t know he was 12th, but he kind of held his car out in the Tunnel (Turn) and I over-slowed not really knowing where he was going to go and that cost me a little bit of time, probably enough to make the final round, but I put myself in that spot, so a little upset at myself.&#8221;</p><p>All 38 cars entered will compete in Sunday&#8217;s race. Derrike Cope in a second Starcom racing car completes the field.</p><p>Next up for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono Raceway is final practice at 11:30 a.m. Saturday for last adjustments before the Pocono 400.</p><p><strong>Burton wins Pocono ARCA 200</strong></p><p>Second-generation driver Harrison Burton pulled away from Sheldon Creed with eight laps to go to win Friday&#8217;s ARCA General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible 200.</p><p>Burton slowly climbed towards the front from his 12th starting position to be in contention just past lap 50 of the 80-lap event.</p><p>&#8220;We come here to win and I know it&#8217;s my first superspeedway race, but doesn&#8217;t matter to us,&#8221; Burton said. &#8220;I got the best team behind me and it makes my job a whole lot easier.&#8221;</p><p>He dedicated the victory to former racer John Andretti, whose cancer returned and spread this week.</p><p>Harrison&#8217;s dad, Jeff, never won at Pocono Raceway, but the younger Burton won in his first-ever start at the Tricky Triangle.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Ryan Blaney drives down the front stretch during qualifying for Sunday&#8217;s NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 400 on Friday in Long Pond, Pa. Blaney won the pole. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_AP18152785885654.jpg</photo0><caption0>Ryan Blaney drives down the front stretch during qualifying for Sunday&#8217;s NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 400 on Friday in Long Pond, Pa. Blaney won the pole. </caption0><photoCredit0>Derik Hamilton | AP Photo </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_AP18152646355868.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kevin Harvick prepares for a practice session for Sunday&#8217;s NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 400 on Friday in Long Pond, Pa. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_AP18152646355868.jpg</photo1><caption1>Kevin Harvick prepares for a practice session for Sunday&#8217;s NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 400 on Friday in Long Pond, Pa. </caption1><photoCredit1>Derik Hamilton | AP Photo </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_AP18152649077267.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kyle Busch prepares for a practice session for Sunday&#8217;s NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 400 on Friday in Long Pond, Pa. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_AP18152649077267.jpg</photo2><caption2>Kyle Busch prepares for a practice session for Sunday&#8217;s NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 400 on Friday in Long Pond, Pa. </caption2><photoCredit2>Derik Hamilton | AP Photo </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Kyle Magda</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div>

Defending Pocono winner Ryan Blaney captures pole