Allmendinger Shocks in Bristol: Pole Position After 10-Year Drought

In an exciting qualifying session at Bristol Motor Speedway, driver AJ Allmendinger, leaving behind the competitors of the NASCAR Cup Series, secured the pole position for the crucial Saturday night race. Allmendinger, driving his No. 16 Chevrolet, completed a lap in 15.117 seconds (126.930 mph), marking his first pole in a decade. This achievement, his fifth in the Cup series and the first since August 2015 at Watkins Glen, makes him the oldest driver to obtain a pole at Bristol since Mark Martin in 2009.

Getting the pole in Bristol is incredible. Let’s hope we can maintain that pace for the 500 laps. Although it’s just a Friday night qualifying, these small victories are important for our team, which is constantly growing.

AJ Allmendinger

Ryan Blaney, with his No. 12 Ford, secured the second position on the grid, finishing only 0.003 seconds behind Allmendinger. Blaney, in a solid position to secure his place in the second round, will seek to add the necessary 15 points.

I think our car is very well prepared for the long race and I’m looking forward to Saturday night. I’m proud of the effort and being so close to the pole is a good day.

Ryan Blaney

Austin Cindric, Blaney’s teammate, qualified third, followed by Ty Gibbs and Kyle Larson, the latter seeking his third consecutive victory in Bristol. Cindric, ranked 12th in the standings, is 11 points above the cut line before the 500-lap race, where four drivers will be eliminated from the playoffs.

We have completed our task for Friday. This puts us in a good position to control our destiny in the race.

Austin Cindric

Playoff drivers Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Josh Berry, and Christopher Bell rounded out the top 10 in qualifying. Other playoff drivers, such as Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, and Shane van Gisbergen, also secured their starting positions.