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Mark Martin won his sixth pole of the season Friday at Richmond International Raceway, while Matt Kenseth, who holds the final transfer spot to the Chase, will start 28th.

Martin is one of 10 drivers vying for the eight final spots in the Chase. The title contenders will be set after tonight's race.

Kenseth leads Brian Vickers by 20 points and Kyle Busch by 37 points for the last Chase spot. Vickers will start sixth and Busch qualified eighth.

Martin won the pole with a lap of 126.808 mph. Martin Truex Jr. (126.731 mph) starts second. Denny Hamlin (126.630 mph), Jimmie Johnson (126.541) and Kasey Kahne (126.452) complete the top five.

No driver vying for a Chase spot starts worse than Kenseth. Greg Biffle, who is 11th in the point standings, starts 24th.

EDWARDS WINS NATIONWIDE RACE: Carl Edwards grabbed the lead from Kevin Harvick on pit road with 24 laps to go and won the Nationwide Series race at Richmond.

The victory finished off a remarkable race for Edwards, who had to start at the back of the field after his team made adjustments to his Ford after the field was impounded.

The work and penalty were clearly worth it as Edwards steadily worked his way into contention, first challenging Denny Hamlin for the lead with 70 laps to go.

Edwards had faded afterward, but when a caution for debris on the track flew on the 226th lap, the leaders all headed for pit road, and Edwards beat Harvick back to the track.

Harvick finished second, followed by Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Davis Reutimann.

BACK AGAIN: Richard Petty Motorsports' move to Ford reunites the manufacturer with Kasey Kahne. Their separation wasn't pleasant. Ford filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Kahne when he signed to drive for Dodge and Ray Evernham's team for the 2004 season.

"I think that it will be a bit different,'' Kahne said of returning to Ford, "because of the way that our relationship ended last time. We'll have to figure out how to get through that and go on with it.

"I wasn't a big fan and they weren't a big fan of me. Time heals, and I think some of those (Ford) people are gone that caused all that. Ford is really excited and I can work through those things.''

TEAMWORK? Kasey Kahne applauds the help he's received from two of his three teammates, leaving questions about his relationship with AJ Allmendinger.

Asked about getting help from his teammates, Kahne said: "I think I am with Reed (Sorenson) and Elliott (Sadler). They seem to always be there, and we always talk and try to go over thing and figure things out together. They've been great teammates all year long. Elliott has been a great teammate since he's been at RPM. We definitely got it going with two of the three.''

Why not the other teammate (Allmendinger)?

"I don't know why,'' Kahne said. "I don't know if he knows why.''

MOVING ON: Dodge President and CEO Mike Accavitti reaffirmed his company's commitment to NASCAR after Richard Petty Motorsports announced it will switch from Dodge to Ford next year.

The move leaves Dodge with only Penske Racing for next year and drivers Kurt Busch, Sam Hornish Jr., and Brad Keselowski.

"Dodge's plan -- to be a championship contender in 2010 with Penske Racing and a solid lineup of drivers -- has not changed,'' Accavitti said in a statement. "We remain firmly focused on our objectives to be the leading manufacturer in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, win races and compete for the Sprint Cup at the right level.''

CREW CHIEF CHANGE: Kurt Busch confirmed Friday that his crew chief Pat Tryson will leave the team at the end of the season.

Tryson is expected to be Martin Truex Jr.'s crew chief next season at Michael Waltrip Racing. Truex would not confirm the move.

"The timing isn't all that good, and it never is any good when you want to change direction in life," Busch said of Tryon's move becoming public with the Chase about to begin. "It seems as if our focus right now should be the Chase and making it in the Chase. It was a tough week for that type of news. It's a change that's going to happen. It's unfortunate that Pat made that type of decision.

PIT STOPS: Denny Hamlin says the car stolen from his home last month was recovered. Asked about the car's condition, Hamlin said: "The car was bad. I think they probably lived in it to be honest with you.''

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.