Green takes Busch pole

Homestead, Fla. ” Winston Cup regular Jeff Green edged Busch series rookie Brian Vickers to win the pole Thursday for the Ford 300.

Driving a Chevrolet, Green earned the top spot for the race Saturday with a lap at 152.031 mph around the flat, 1 1/2-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway oval. The 19-year-old Vickers ran his lap at 151.882 mph in a Dodge.

Track record holder Bobby Hamilton Jr. qualified third, and was followed by Casey Mears and Joe Nemechek.

Greg Biffle, who won the Busch series title last week at Phoenix International Raceway, qualified 18th.

Bliss grabs truck pole

Homestead, Fla. ” Mike Bliss won the pole Thursday for the season finale of the NASCAR truck series.

Bliss, seeking his first truck series championship, has a 32-point lead in the standings. He turned a lap at 147.111 mph around Homestead-Miami Speedway to earn his fourth pole of the season.

But his competition for the championship won’t be starting too far behind him in today’s finale. Ted Musgrave, who is third in points and 71 behind Bliss, was second fastest at 136.991. Rick Crawford, who is in second place in the standings, qualified fifth.