Kyle Busch won the pole for the second race of the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup season, edging Ryan Newman in a close battle at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Busch overcame handling problems in the first two rounds of qualifying Friday to win the pole with a lap of 184.652 mph in the third round. Busch beat Newman's 184.419 mph. Kevin Harvick qualified third.

Busch won his 28th career pole, and his first at Atlanta.

Rookie Darrell ``Bubba'' Wallace Jr., who finished second last week in the Daytona 500, qualified 19th.

Defending NASCAR Cup champion Martin Truex will start last in the 36-car field. His car did not pass inspection.

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AP-WF-02-23-18 2341GMT