Indianapolis ? Tony Stewart beat the heat and the rest of the field Saturday, winning the pole for the Brickyard 400 with a record qualifying lap.

The Indiana native sat in the window of his Joe Gibbs Pontiac and pumped his fists in the air, taking in the booming cheers of the partisan crowd of about 30,000.

Driver Tony Stewart waves to the fans. Stewart won the pole Saturday for today's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Stewart’s 182.960 mph lap easily broke the record of 181.072, set in 2000 by Brett Bodine. In fact, the top five qualifiers surpassed that speed despite temperatures in the 90s and a glaring sun that made the 21/2-mile asphalt oval slick and treacherous.

The Dodge of Bill Elliott, coming off a victory from the pole last Sunday at Pocono, took the outside spot on the front row at 182.109, followed by the Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr. at 181.627, the Chevy of Robby Gordon at 181.543 and rookie Ryan Newman’s Ford at 181.287.

“I think I lost about 5 pounds just in a few laps in a qualifying run,” the stocky Stewart said.

He noted that drawing the 11th spot in the qualifying line on the hot, humid day was a key to winning his second pole of the season and sixth of his career.

“I was never very good at drawing an early number,” Stewart said. “We’ve got somebody else doing it now and he certainly earned his keep this week.”

The temperature rose steadily and the humidity thickened as the session started at 10:05 a.m. local time and didn’t end until 12:30 p.m.

The top four were also among the first 11 drivers in the line. Newman was the only driver to break the pattern, qualifying 49th among the 50 drivers who made attempts.

“It was in the heat of the day, but I think it was pretty hot from the time the first green flag dropped all the way through,” Newman said. “It probably made a little bit of difference but, overall, the run was pretty good.”

Newman, from South Bend, Ind., and a graduate of Purdue University, is 12th in the Winston Cup points but has yet to win a race. If he or teammate Rusty Wallace wins today’s race, it would give team owner Roger Penske who owns a record 11 Indianapolis 500 wins his first stock car victory here. Wallace will start 35th in the 43-car field.

Three-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon won from 26th position last year and will start today’s race 21st, while two-time winner Dale Jarrett will start 17th.

Gordon, hoping to end a 28-race winless streak, said he was fortunate to qualify that high.

“Something just snapped in the motor when I crossed the line to complete the first lap,” he said. “It could have happened during the lap. It just shut completely off. I’m hoping it’s something in the driveline, not the motor.”

If it does turn out to be the motor, under NASCAR’s new rule permitting teams to use only one engine per race, his team could put a new engine in his Chevy. But Gordon, another local favorite who spent his teen years in nearby Pittsboro, Ind., would have to start from the rear of the field.

Ricky Rudd and Bobby Labonte, the only other former Brickyard winners in the lineup, also had problems in qualifying. Rudd, Jarrett’s teammate, was 25th despite drawing the seventh spot in line, while Labonte, going out in the middle of the session, had to use a provisional to take the 40th spot after failing to qualify by speed.

Kurt Busch, who was fastest in practice Friday, also had to use a provisional after spinning during his first qualifying lap. He missed the wall but ruined his tires and will have to start 38th.

Stewart, who grew up about 30 miles from here in Columbus, Ind., is the first driver to win poles in both the Indy 500 (1996) and the Brickyard. This one was particularly gratifying because he feels unusual pressure when he comes to the speedway.

“As much as I love being home, I hate this week,” Stewart said.