AVONDALE, Ariz. — Matt Kenseth had no idea his pole-winning run at Phoenix International Raceway could benefit his championship-contending teammate.

When he found out he had assisted Carl Edwards, Kenseth pretended it was all part of the plan.

"I thought, 'Man, if we can sit on the pole, that will really help him,'" Kenseth laughed.

Kenseth turned a lap at 137.101 mph on Saturday to win his third pole of the season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It came in a late run, and separated title contenders Edwards and Tony Stewart on the grid.

Before Kenseth's lap, Stewart and Edwards were seventh and eighth, respectively, on the qualifying list and in line to start side-by-side Sunday. Edwards would have been on the outside, and new pavement at Phoenix has prevented the second line from adequately developing.

So when Kenseth reached the top of the board, Stewart dropped to eighth and Edwards to ninth. It means Stewart will start on the outside of the fourth row, and Edwards will line up on the inside of row five.

"I planned that. I am that good," Kenseth claimed.

Kenseth actually played down the significance of the starting spots of the two championship contenders. Edwards takes a three-point lead over Stewart into the penultimate event of the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

"The bottom (line) is probably going to be an advantage to get started, but it is still 300 miles and ... at some point in the race every car is going to be in the top groove for a little bit," Kenseth said.

AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose qualified second and third as Ford swept the top three spots. Mark Martin qualified fourth and Martin Truex Jr. was fifth, followed by Jamie McMurray and David Reutimann.

But the qualifying session was marked by drivers using strong adjectives in reference to the racing surface, which was paved this summer. Allmendinger said his lap "was insane," and Ambrose called the slick tracks "pretty sketchy." Jeff Gordon, who won here in February, called the surface "treacherous" after qualifying 23rd.

But what did Stewart think?

"I didn't think it was a big drama," he said. "I am all right if it stays like this for the whole day."

Stewart, who normally heats up during the hot summer stretch of the schedule, prefers a slick track, right? "Yeah, I love it," he said.

It could be setting it up for a big Sunday for the two-time NASCAR champion. Stewart, winner of four Chase races, including two straight, has been operating as if he's on a mission and can't be stopped in his bid to become the first driver-owner since Alan Kulwicki in 1992 to win the title.

Still, Edwards is in command.

"At the end of the day, we are still leading the points," he said. They have to overtake us and beat us."