DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) – Kevin Harvick did his part for tradition Friday, becoming the latest Winston Cup star to win the Busch pole at Darlington Raceway.

Harvick’s speed of 167.516 mph in a Chevrolet put him in front for the Winn-Dixie 200 on Saturday, just ahead of the Ford of fellow Winston Cup racer Jamie McMurray. Harvick had only one top-10 starting spot in four previous Busch races here.

As the 27-year-old driver gained laps, though, he said his skills improved.

“When I came here in the past, I didn’t have the experience and I didn’t get the result I wanted,” he said.

And maybe that’s why Winston Cup racers such as Mark Martin and Jeff Burton have dominated Darlington’s Busch series events over the past decade. Martin holds the track record with eight Busch victories and eight poles.

Burton had a run of three victories – including a pole win in 2002 – that ended in March with Todd Bodine’s win.

“We were talking about that in the truck today,” Harvick said. “Experience doesn’t hurt, that’s for sure.”

It was Harvick’s third Busch pole this season. The others came at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and California Speedway.

He also has three Busch victories this year.

McMurray wound up second to Bodine in Darlington’s spring race after blowing a tire and hitting the wall only strides from the finish line. Bodine slid across the line to win.

“To finish in the top two in both races at Darlington would be pretty exciting,” McMurray said.

Kasey Kahne, who won the pole two weeks ago at Michigan, starts third in a Ford with the Chevy of Brian Vickers alongside.

Scott Riggs, the series points leader, qualified 16th. David Green, 28 points behind in second place, starts ninth.

Riggs is hopeful his car can stand up in what’s expected to be sweltering heat.

“But I thought it was going to qualify well today, too,” he said.

AP-ES-08-29-03 1907EDT