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.

“That was my 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. It came in a late run, and separated title contenders Edwards and Tony Stewart on the grid.

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

So when Kenseth wedged his way to 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.

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.

But the qualifying session was marked by drivers using strong adjectives in reference to the racing surface, which was paved over the summer.

Ambrose said the slick track was “pretty sketchy” and Allmendinger said his lap “was insane.” Jeff Gordon, who won here in February, called the surface “treacherous” after qualifying 23rd.

It could be setting it up for a big Sunday for the two-time NASCAR champion, who believes he’s got the advantage over Edwards because the race could come down to which drivers adapt faster to the new surface.

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.

Edwards, who has been the points leader for most of the season, thinks he needs only to maintain what he has been doing to lock up his first title and it doesn’t matter what Stewart does.

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