KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A week later, Kasey Kahne is in a better mood.

Frustrated after he was caught in an early crash at Dover and finished 38th, Kahne said his championship hopes were all but finished. Friday, after winning the pole at Kansas Speedway, Kahne was more optimistic.

"You look at the points and there's definitely a chance,'' says Kahne, who is ninth, 182 points behind series leader Jeff Burton. "It's something that can be done. It's going to be tough. It's definitely possible if all the teams have hard luck.''

That's asking a lot, but Jimmie Johnson nearly rallied from a 247-point deficit in the 2004 championship Chase.

If anyone can come back it could be Kahne, who has excelled on tracks similar to the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway. This is the first of five races on 1.5-mile tracks. He's driving a car that he's used in all five victories this season. His pole also was his fifth of the season. Kahne took the top spot with a lap of 178.377 mph to beat teammate Scott Riggs (177.936 mph).

Johnson (176.887 mph), Brian Vickers (176.846) and rookie J.J. Yeley (176.800) complete the top five. Burton qualified 10th. Jeff Gordon, second in the points, starts 11th.

Do not enter

Hendrick team officials have barred Vickers from post-practice meetings with drivers where setups are discussed. Vickers will move to Team Red Bull after this season.

"Brian is still heavily involved but as we all know there are very few secrets in this sport,'' Johnson said. "To have someone that is leaving and going to another race team, involved with some of the detailed conversations about some of the cars and technology wouldn't be smart on behalf of Hendrick Motorsports to allow him to be a part of it.''

Testing

Juan Montoya ranked sixth fastest among 19 ARCA cars that tested Friday at the .875-mile Iowa Speedway, according to the series' Web site.

"I'm really very comfortable in the car," Montoya stated during the noon lunch press function. "Anyone can drive Talladega. This place ... you really have to race. The hardest thing for me has been the braking, how to drive the car into the corner, use the brakes, and then get back on the accelerator."

Tough day

Bill Elliott starts 39th after ending a bizarre day for his team. The liftgate on the hauler that unloads the cars broke.

The team couldn't get its car out until another team backed its hauler to the rear of the hauler with Elliott's car. That allowed the team to roll Elliott's car on the liftgate of the other hauler. That was completed nearly three hours after the garage opened.

Pit stops

Scott Wimmer, Kevin Lepage, Chad Blount and Carl Long failed to qualify. ... Bobby Labonte is driving a Busch car for Kevin Harvick Inc. Labonte will drive for the team in all but one of the remaining Busch races. He replaces rookie Burney Lamar. Harvick cited Lamar's slipping performance for the change.