FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Jeff Gordon is suddenly having all kind of success at Texas Motor Speedway, a track where he had never won until earlier this season.

Gordon captured his first pole of the season, waiting until the third-to-last race to extend his streak of 17 consecutive seasons with a pole, with a qualifying lap of 191.117 mph Friday at the 1 1/2-mile, high-banked Texas track.

"We weren't waiting," said Gordon, smiling. "We were working hard every weekend. And you know we've been very close. ... We're focused on ending this season the best we possibly can. "

Only David Pearson and Richard Petty have longer streaks than Gordon of seasons in which they won a pole. Pearson went 20 consecutive seasons (1963-82) and Petty had 18 (1960-77).

Gordon is third in points, 192 behind Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson, who drives the No. 48 Chevrolet on which Gordon is listed as the owner. Johnson is vying for an unprecedented fourth consecutive season title and needs to average no better than 10th place the last three races to get it.

Mark Martin, another Hendrick driver, is second, only eight points ahead of Gordon's No. 24. Martin qualified seventh and Johnson 12th for Sunday's race.

Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch qualified second and third in Dodges. Tony Stewart was fourth in his No. 14 Chevrolet.

When Gordon won at Texas in April, it broke a 47-race winless drought and gave him a victory at one of the two active tracks where the four-time series champion had never won. The other is Homestead, host of the season finale in two weeks.

Gordon also started on the pole last November in Texas, when he finished second. He started second in April before finally winning on his 17th try at the "tricky track" where he has the only two last-place finishes in his 578 career starts. That is still Gordon's only win this season.

Kenseth takes Nationwide pole — Matt Kenseth will start on the pole for the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Texas, five spots ahead of points leader Kyle Busch.

Kenseth earned his first pole in his 13 Nationwide races this season, the 16th in his career, with a qualifying lap of 187.201 mph in his Ford. David Ragan also starts his Ford on the front row.

Busch earns 5th straight truck win — Kyle Busch has won each of his last five truck races, extending the streak that began at Bristol in August when he beat Matt Crafton by 0.725 second Friday night. Busch has won seven times in 13 starts this season in the No. 51 Toyota, and been outside the top two only three times. Series points leader Ron Hornaday was third, nearly 10 seconds behind Crafton.