LONG POND, Pa. — Brad Keselowski has the best start at Pocono for a race he can’t wait to finish.

Win or lose – and, yes, Keselowski wants to win even with a Chase berth in the bag – the end of the race means the 2012 Sprint Cup champion is one week closer toward NASCAR’s version of the playoffs.

With the summer racing season just heating up, Keselowski is already antsy for September.

“I am ready to go run for the championship right now,” he said. “I am hungry for it. I think we have a good opportunity and I really want to win a second championship.”

Up first, trying to win his second career race at Pocono Raceway, Keselowski led a Team Penske first-row sweep with his first pole of the season, turning a lap of 181.726 mph on Friday to just edge teammate Joey Logano.

Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards completed the top five.

Tony Stewart was sixth for easily his top qualifying run of the season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top 10.

INDYCAR: Simon Pagenaud won the pole for this weekend’s first IndyCar race at Belle Isle as Team Penske swept the top three spots in qualifying in Detroit.

Helio Castroneves was second and Juan Pablo Montoya qualified third. It was Pagenaud’s third pole of the season and fifth of his career.

Castroneves set a track record in the second round of qualifying with a lap of 1 minute, 14.6899 seconds.

But he was second to Pagenaud in the final round. Pagenaud took the pole with a time of 1:14.9166.

Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi was 17th out of 22 cars in qualifying.

There are races Saturday and Sunday at Belle Isle.

Qualifying for the second race is Sunday.