Pocono NASCAR: Kurt Busch on pole in red-flagged qualifying session

Only seven cars set a laptime in the 12-car shootout, before Denny Hamlin had a spin at Turn 1 with 39 seconds remaining

That meant drivers wouldn't have enough time to get back around for flying laps had qualifying resumed so NASCAR declared the session over.

Stewart-Haas Chevrolet driver Busch jumped to the top of the order after the first wave of drivers set times, with Carl Edwards joining him on the front row.

Martin Truex Jr - who qualified second last week at Dover and sits second in the overall points standings - starts third, ahead of six-time Pocono winner Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick.

Harvick topped the first two qualifying segments, but his lap was only enough for fifth in the shootout, with Austin Dillon scoring a season high starting position of sixth. Brad Keselowski was the last to set a time seveth.

The drivers caught out by the red flag started with its instigator Hamlin in eighth, followed by last week's winner Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Kasey Kahne rounding out the top 12.

Kyle Larson missed out on the top 12 pole shootout after scoring the pole at the last Pocono race in August 2014, and having scored a season-best third position last week at Dover.

Another noteable absentee from the final was Dale Earnhardt Jr, who won both Pocono races last year. The Hendrick Motorsports driver will start 20th.

Controversy ensued at the end of the first segment when Greg Biffle delivered a last minute lap to jump into the second part of qualifying.

However, NASCAR officials ruled that Biffle didn't make it across the start/finish line before the end of the session and his time was nullified.

Also attempting late round one laps were last week's surprise top five finisher Aric Almirola and two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart. Neither made it into the second part of qualifying.

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