DOVER, Del. — Ryan Newman is back in front. Michael Waltrip is back in a race.

Newman, whose Dodge started first in last weekend's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, qualified fastest Friday for Sunday's Autism Speaks 400 Nextel Cup race at Dover International Speedway.

Newman's speed of 152.925 mph around Dover's 1-mile oval edged Dale Earnhardt Jr. (152.387), who will start alongside him on the front row. Bobby Labonte and Kasey Kahne will form the second row, giving Dodge three of the top four cars in the field.

It's Newman's third pole of the season, but that hasn't been a guarantee of any kind of success for him. He finished 39th in the 600, dropping him from 13th to 18th in points.

But if there's a track where Newman might begin to rally, Dover and its rugged concrete surface could be it. He's won three times at Dover and is the last driver to do so from the pole (2003). His most recent Dover victory came in 2004.

"There's tons of racing to go," said Newman. "This used to be my track, which doesn't mean it still isn't."

In the middle of the field — and very much in the race — is Waltrip, who will start his Toyota in the 23rd spot (150.294). It's the first race he's made since the season-opening Daytona 500 — 12 races ago.

It was as good a qualifying day as Toyota — in its first season in Nextel Cup — has had. In a season peppered with DNQs (did not qualify), Waltrip will be joined by Toyota's Jeremy Mayfield (20th), Dale Jarrett (22nd) and Brian Vickers (24th). Even rookie A.J. Allmendinger squeezed into the race's 43rd and final spot.

But it's been most trying individually for Waltrip, who owns his new team but was penalized at Daytona for using a banned fuel additive and still hasn't recovered. After finishing 30th at Daytona, he hadn't made a race since.

It's "just studying, hard work and listening to other people's setups," said Waltrip.