AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Winston Cup driver Kevin Harvick won his fifth NASCAR Busch series pole of the season Thursday, taking the top spot for the race Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway.

Harvick turned a lap of 132.930 mph on the 1-mile oval in a Chevrolet, easily beating Greg Biffle’s 132.071 that earned him the outside spot on the front row for the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200.

It will actually be the eighth pole start of the season for Harvick. Three of them were awarded to him – after qualifying sessions were rained out – by virtue of his Richard Childress Racing team leading the car owner points.

Harvick is sharing the RCR Busch ride this season with Johnny Sauter, and they have built a comfortable 216 point lead over the Brewco Motorsports team and driver David Green in the car owner standings.

Green, the leader in the tight five-man race for the Busch driver’s championship, qualified fifth. Scott Riggs, who trails Green by just 13 points, was 12th.

Ron Hornaday Jr. and Jason Keller are tied for third in the series standings and will start 15th and 22nd, respectively, while fifth-place Brian Vickers, who is just 49 points behind Green, qualified sixth.