NASCAR Phoenix: Kevin Harvick takes Sprint Cup pole

The Stewart Haas driver has six wins at the circuit, and has won four of the last five races despite never previously taking pole at the track.

Harvick - who has two second place finishes and a win out of three races so far this season - clocked a 25.577s to head 2015 Daytona 500 winner and last week's Las Vegas pole-sitter Joey Logano.

Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman rounded out the top five, while Kurt Busch landed eighth on the grid for his first start of the year following his three-week NASCAR suspension.

Hendrick Motorsports had a surprisingly average session, with Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon its highest-placed drivers on the fifth row, while Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jimmie Johnson could only manage 16th and 20th respectively.

Previous Phoenix winner Denny Hamlin ended up 25th, missing the cut from the first segment of qualifying session after losing out on a tie-break with Martin Truex Jr.

Both drivers set the same time, but Truex progressed through the qualifying process as a result of being higher (fourth vs eighth) in the championship at the moment.

NASCAR veteran Travis Kvapil, and Tanner Berryhill - aiming to make his Cup debut - failed to make the 43-car field for the race.

QUALIFYING RESULTS: