DOVER, Del. — Martin Truex Jr. has been first to finish at Dover International Speedway and now he'll be first to start.

Truex turned a lap of 157.315 mph and won the pole Friday — nearly three years after he won his only career Cup race at Dover. Truex won his first pole of the season and first since last November at Phoenix.

"Hopefully, the best is yet to come and we'll be in here talking to you Sunday," Truex said.

The native of Mayetta, N.J., has long considered Dover his hometown track. He made his first career start in NASCAR's second-tier series at Dover.