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LOUDON, N.H. -- The two drivers many overlook for the Chase for the Championship will be the top two Sunday.

Clint Bowyer, the only driver among the 12 title contenders without a victory this season, earned the pole Friday at New Hampshire International Speedway.

He nipped Martin Truex Jr. by 35-thousandths of a second for the pole.

"The pressure is off of us," Bowyer said. "We're 12th (in the points). We only have one way to go and that's forward. Sitting on the pole, the first race in the Chase, is a big step in the right direction."

The pole is Bowyer's second. He scored his career-first pole at Darlington in May. This also is Bowyer's first start better than 24th at New Hampshire in four races at this 1-mile oval.

After Bowyer and Truex are Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman. Tony Stewart starts sixth.

Others did not fare as well. Two title contenders will start outside the top 20: Jeff Burton (23rd) and Matt Kenseth (30th). Among those who failed to qualify were Dale Jarrett, Michael Waltrip and former Indianapolis 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr.

John Andretti's car failed a post-qualifying inspection -- the left front was too low -- and his car was disqualified. That allowed Boris Said, driving for Gillett Evernham Motorsports, to make the field.

NEW NUMBER: Both the Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com, citing unidentified sources, are reporting that Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car will be No. 88 next season.

That number had been assigned to Robert Yates Racing. Ricky Rudd is driving the No. 88 this season. Dale Jarrett drove it from 1996 to 2006. Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip also have taken the No. 88 to victory lane.

Earnhardt wouldn't comment about the number or his sponsor, expected to be Mountain Dew and AMP energy drink.

"It's going to be a lot of fun to really see the reaction of the fans and I hope that they really enjoy what we're going to do and we've been having a lot of fun with design and with the approach and sort of forming what our identity is going to be on the race track and off the race track," Earnhardt said.

DELAYING TALKS: Tony Stewart says he's not going to work on his contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing the rest of the season. His current deal goes through 2009.

"All these things like right now, are a total distraction to what I'm trying to accomplish the rest of the season and that's why I'm not going to do any more than I have to do until the end of the year," Stewart said. "My goal is to win the championship and focus on the things I have to focus on to get that done."

PIT STOPS: Gillett Evernham Motorsports on Tuesday is expected to announced that Budweiser will be Kasey Kahne's sponsor next season. ... The forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of rain today in Concord, N.H. ... Jeff Gordon makes his 500th consecutive start Sunday.

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dlong@news-record.com