Defending race winner AJ Allmendinger has scored the pole position for NASCAR’s second and final road course race of the season at Watkins Glen.
Allmendinger, who held off Australia’s Marcos Ambrose in 2014, has the chance to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup with victory in this weekend’s race.
The Coors Light Pole Award was the fourth of Allmendinger’s career, his first at Watkins Glen and his second of the season.
“Hopefully, we’re reliving last year,” said Allmendinger.
“I didn’t do a good job on Friday. They saved me. They gave me a good race car… I don’t know if I’ll sleep any better tonight, but I’ll be ready for tomorrow.”
“There isn’t any more pressure than I put on myself. These guys deserve it. I want to lift them on my shoulders and carry them to Victory Lane. Last year was special and it just makes you want to do it more and more.
Allmendinger posted the only sub-69-second lap (1:08.993) to win the pole at the 3.94km track in New York State.
A lot of attention has been on Tony Stewart, who missed last year’s race after being involved in a fatal Speedway crash on the Saturday night of the event weekend. Stewart will start third behind Martin Truex Jr. as Chevrolet took the first seven spots on the grid.
| POS. | CAR # | DRIVER | MAKE | SPONSOR | MPH | TIME | GAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 47 | AJ Allmendinger |  |
Kroger/Bush’s Beans | 127.839 | 68.993 | Leader |
| 2 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr | |
Furniture Row/Visser Precision | 127.569 | 69.139 | –0.146 |
| 3 | 14 | Tony Stewart | |
Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 | 127.481 | 69.187 | –0.194 |
| 4 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | |
Budweiser / Jimmy John’s | 127.416 | 69.222 | –0.229 |
| 5 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | |
Axalta | 127.181 | 69.350 | –0.357 |
| 6 | 42 | Kyle Larson | |
Target | 126.948 | 69.477 | –0.484 |
| 7 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | |
Nationwide | 126.912 | 69.497 | –0.504 |
| 8 | 18 | Kyle Busch |  |
M&M’s Crispy | 126.868 | 69.521 | –0.528 |
| 9 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | |
LOWES | 126.828 | 69.543 | –0.550 |
| 10 | 3 | Austin Dillon | |
Dow | 126.788 | 69.565 | –0.572 |
| 11 | 2 | Brad Keselowski |  |
Miller Lite/Luke Bryan | 126.112 | 69.938 | –0.945 |
| 12 | 51 | Justin Allgaier | |
Brandt | 125.980 | 70.011 | –1.018 |
| 13 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | |
FedEx Ground | 126.826 | 69.544 | –0.551 |
| 14 | 41 | Kurt Busch | |
Haas Automation | 126.790 | 69.564 | –0.571 |
| 15 | 19 | Carl Edwards | |
Stanley | 126.677 | 69.626 | –0.633 |
| 16 | 22 | Joey Logano | |
Shell Pennzoil | 126.610 | 69.663 | –0.670 |
| 17 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | |
McDonald’s | 126.595 | 69.671 | –0.678 |
| 18 | 15 | Clint Bowyer | |
Maxwell House | 126.584 | 69.677 | –0.684 |
| 19 | 55 | David Ragan | |
Aaron’s Dream Machine -Online Version | 126.533 | 69.705 | –0.712 |
| 20 | 31 | Ryan Newman | |
Caterpillar | 126.488 | 69.730 | –0.737 |
| 21 | 43 | Aric Almirola | |
Smithfield | 126.092 | 69.949 | –0.956 |
| 22 | 10 | Danica Patrick | |
GoDaddy | 126.068 | 69.962 | –0.969 |
| 23 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | |
Time Warner Cable | 126.040 | 69.978 | –0.985 |
| 24 | 9 | Sam Hornish Jr | |
Madallion Bank | 125.995 | 70.003 | –1.010 |
| 25 | 16 | Greg Biffle | |
Cheez-It Ford Fusion | 125.923 | 70.043 | –1.050 |
| 26 | 20 | Matt Kenseth | |
Dollar General | 125.890 | 70.061 | –1.068 |
| 27 | 83 | Matt DiBenedetto | |
Burger King/Cosmo Motors | 125.849 | 70.084 | –1.091 |
| 28 | 27 | Paul Menard | |
Libman / Menards | 125.781 | 70.122 | –1.129 |
| 29 | 13 | Casey Mears | |
No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS | 125.775 | 70.125 | –1.132 |
| 30 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | |
Ford EcoBoost Ford Fusion | 125.616 | 70.214 | –1.221 |
| 31 | 95 | Michael McDowell | |
KLOVE Radio | 125.573 | 70.238 | –1.245 |
| 32 | 34 | Chris Buescher | |
Bully Hill Vineyards | 125.452 | 70.306 | –1.313 |
| 33 | 35 | Cole Whitt | |
Tweaker Energy Shots | 125.217 | 70.438 | –1.445 |
| 34 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | |
Advocare Ford Fusion | 124.744 | 70.705 | –1.712 |
| 35 | 33 | Alex Kennedy | |
Dream Factory | 124.615 | 70.778 | –1.785 |
| 36 | 40 | Landon Cassill | |
Hillman Automotive & Tire | 124.068 | 71.090 | –2.097 |
| 37 | 38 | David Gilliland | |
Love’s Travel Stops | 124.026 | 71.114 | –2.121 |
| 38 | 32 | Boris Said | |
GENESEE BREWING COMPANY | 123.951 | 71.157 | –2.164 |
| 39 | 7 | Alex Bowman | |
TBR Chevrolet | 123.934 | 71.167 | –2.174 |
| 40 | 46 | Michael Annett | |
Switch Hitch | 123.842 | 71.220 | –2.227 |
| 41 | 26 | Jeb Burton | |
Maxim | 123.233 | 71.572 | –2.579 |
| 42 | 23 | J.J. Yeley | |
Dr. Pepper | 122.686 | 71.891 | –2.898 |
| 43 | 98 | Timmy Hill | |
Premium Motorsports | 121.247 | 72.744 | –3.751 |
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