There’s nothing like a heated rivalry to add a little zest in any sport.

The latest feud in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series involves 23-year-old Kyle Busch and 29-year-old Carl Edwards, who had another run-in last Saturday night at Bristol.

In the wake of the postrace bumping by the two Cup stars, NASCAR has placed both on probation for six races, much as it did to Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch after a similar incident at Daytona during practice for the Budweiser Shootout in February.

“Are rivalries good for our sport, for any sport? Absolutely,” said longtime NASCAR star Kyle Petty. “It draws a line in the sand. You’re either over here or over there.

“In Carl and Kyle you have the makings of a rivalry that could last for a while. Both are young and on top of the sport. This could be the best rivalry since (Dale) Earnhardt-(Jeff) Gordon.”

Petty noted that Edwards and Busch have very different personalities.

“Out of the car, they are two different people, so they appeal to two totally different groups,” he said. “In the car, they are aggressive and will probably get together a few more times on the track. I hope this doesn’t go away, but if it does, we are going to be treated to one heck of a championship fight this year, at least.”

Busch, with eight victories, is leading the points, while Edwards, with six wins, is second.

Johnson grabs pole for California race

FONTANA, Calif. — Aiming to build some momentum heading into NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, Jimmie Johnson got off to a good start Friday, winning the pole at Auto Club Speedway.

The two-time reigning Cup champion was easily the fastest driver on the 2-mile oval in qualifying for Sunday’s Pepsi 500, turning a fast lap of 180.397 mph.

“I’m really very proud of that lap,” said Johnson, the defending race winner.

For much of the session, it appeared that the front row would be all Hendrick Motorsports, with Jeff Gordon sitting in the second spot with a lap of 179.565. But A.J. Allmendinger, one of nine drivers who had to qualify on speed, elbowed his way between the teammates with a lap of 179.659.

Kasey Kahne was fourth at 179.158, followed by Gillett Evernham Motorsports teammates Patrick Carpentier at 178.860 and Elliott Sadler at 178.492. Rounding out the top 10 were Martin Truex Jr. at 178.434, Dave Blaney at 178.381, Kurt Busch at 178.165 and rookie Aric Almirola at 178.134.

For Johnson, it was his first pole at the Southern California track, but the series-leading fourth of the season and the 17th of his career.

Heading into the penultimate race of the “regular season,” Johnson is fourth in the season points. But, based on his two victories this year, he currently would be the third seed in the Chase, trailing only eight-time winner Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards, a six-time winner this season.

Nemechek dismayed by format change

Nobody was more disappointed than Joe Nemechek by the announcement this week that the nonpoints Budweiser Shootout that begins each season at Daytona is changing formats.

Instead of pitting the previous season’s pole-winners, the new format calls for the top six teams in the last year’s car owner points to race in the Shootout, next February.

That will leave Nemechek and his Furniture Row Racing team on the sidelines, despite winning the pole earlier this year at Talladega.

“It’s disappointing, very disappointing,” Nemechek said. “All along we were led to believe that we would be in the Bud Shootout next year after winning the pole at Talladega. Now the rules change. It doesn’t seem fair. This team was really looking forward to being in that race.”

But Nemechek and the team he started driving for late in the 2007 season have been making progress this season.

Heading into qualifying for this week’s race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Nemechek has qualified for 21 of the previous 24 races. That matches the fledgling team’s single-season record for starts.

Nemechek began this week 36th in car owner points, just outside a top-35 spot that would have guaranteed him a starting position in Sunday’s race. But, despite having to qualify on speed, he had put his No. 78 Chevrolet into 12 straight races going into this weekend.

“The good news is we’ve come a long way. We still have a ways to go, but for a single-car team competing with the multicar big dogs, we’re holding our own and showing improvement,” Nemechek said.

He said it

“Professionally, there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing. Competing in NASCAR’s top level series has been a lifelong dream and I’m fortunate that I have been doing what I love for as long as I have. But I still believe my best years are ahead of me. I’ve learned a lot over the years and this environment has made me a better person because of it.” — Jeff Burton, who will race in his 500th Cup event Sunday at Auto Club Speedway.

Stat of the week

While Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards have already nailed down spots in the Chase for the championship, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Burton — third through fifth in the points — can secure their spots in the stock car postseason Sunday at Fontana.

Earnhardt is in the best position. He will clinch a Chase spot if he finishes 40th or better or leads a lap and finishes 42nd or better. Johnson can make it by finishing 40th or better or leading a lap and finishing 41st or better. Burton will clinch if he finishes 15th or better, 17th or better if he leads a lap, or 20th or better if he leads the most laps.

Other drivers currently in the top 12 could clinch a spot in the Chase with the right combination of a good finish and a bad day by their competitors. Only Clint Bowyer in 12th cannot wrap up a Chase spot unless 13th-place David Ragan fails to start.

 Sunday’s race.