AJ Allmendinger will be the one to catch at Sonoma
AJ Allmendinger has set the fastest time in qualifying at Sonoma, the first of only two road course races of the NASCAR season.
Allmendger, who held off a determined Marcos Ambrose, to win at the Sprint Cup’s other road course race at Watkins Glen last year, will share the front row with Kurt Busch.
With race winners all but guaranteed a spot in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup, Allmendinger will be one of the hot favourites to win the race.
Although known as a road course specialist, it was his third career NASCAR pole and first on a track which requires drivers to right as well as left.
Allmendinger set a time of 1:14.385, 0.166-sec faster than Kurt Busch; who lost his best lap when brother Kyle spun at Turn 10 to bring out a red flag with 7:03 left in the final 10-minute session.
“It’s a solid start, but the prize is tomorrow,” said Allmendinger.
“We knew that, if we go do our job, and if I do my job tomorrow, and we have solid pit stops, and we just take care of business, at the end we should give ourselves a chance. And that’s all we can ask for.”
The road course races over recent years had always drawn focus on Marcos Ambrose, but his replacement, Sam Hornish Jr., will have plenty of work to do starting down in 24th.
QUALIFYING: Toyota – Save Mart 350 : Sonoma Raceway
POS.
CAR #
DRIVER
MANUFACTURER
SPONSOR
MPH
BEST TIME
BEHIND
1
47
AJ Allmendinger
Kingsford Charcoal
96.310
74.385
Leader
2
41
Kurt Busch
Haas Automation
96.095
74.551
–0.166
3
20
Matt Kenseth
Dollar General
96.001
74.624
–0.239
4
42
Kyle Larson
Viva Vantage
95.932
74.678
–0.293
5
24
Jeff Gordon
AARP MEMBER ADVANTAGES
95.905
74.699
–0.314
6
15
Clint Bowyer
5-Hour Energy
95.884
74.715
–0.330
7
14
Tony Stewart
Mobil 1 / Bass Pro Shops
95.663
74.888
–0.503
8
13
Casey Mears
No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS
95.563
74.966
–0.581
9
55
David Ragan
Aaron’s Dream Machine
95.497
75.018
–0.633
10
2
Brad Keselowski
Alliance Truck Parts
95.298
75.175
–0.790
11
18
Kyle Busch
M&M’s Crispy
95.293
75.179
–0.794
12
78
Martin Truex Jr
Furniture Row/Visser Precision
95.177
75.270
–0.885
13
48
Jimmie Johnson
LOWE’S PRO SERVICES
95.756
74.815
–0.430
14
19
Carl Edwards
Stanley
95.733
74.833
–0.448
15
11
Denny Hamlin
FedEx Freight
95.554
74.973
–0.588
16
31
Ryan Newman
WIX Filters
95.531
74.991
–0.606
17
4
Kevin Harvick
Folds of Honor / Outback Steakhouse / Budweiser
95.477
75.034
–0.649
18
1
Jamie McMurray
CESSNA
95.436
75.066
–0.681
19
22
Joey Logano
Shell Pennzoil
95.417
75.081
–0.696
20
88
Dale Earnhardt Jr
Microsoft
95.390
75.102
–0.717
21
10
Danica Patrick
GoDaddy
95.366
75.121
–0.736
22
16
Greg Biffle
Ortho Ford Fusion
95.345
75.138
–0.753
23
95
Michael McDowell
KLOVE Radio
95.336
75.145
–0.760
24
9
Sam Hornish Jr
Jacob Companies
95.208
75.246
–0.861
25
43
Aric Almirola
Nathans Famous
95.084
75.344
–0.959
26
5
Kasey Kahne
Great Clips
95.006
75.406
–1.021
27
51
Justin Allgaier
Brandt
94.920
75.474
–1.089
28
38
David Gilliland
Love’s Travel Stops
94.841
75.537
–1.152
29
35
Cole Whitt
Uponor
94.805
75.566
–1.181
30
83
Matt DiBenedetto
Burger King
94.714
75.638
–1.253
31
6
Trevor Bayne
Advocare Ford Fusion
94.534
75.782
–1.397
32
27
Paul Menard
Richmond/Menards
94.527
75.788
–1.403
33
32
Boris Said
Loss Prevention Group
94.477
75.828
–1.443
34
23
J.J. Yeley
Dr Pepper
94.441
75.857
–1.472
35
34
Justin Marks
Dockside Logistics
94.320
75.954
–1.569
36
33
Alex Kennedy
Media Cast
94.132
76.106
–1.721
37
3
Austin Dillon
Dow
94.048
76.174
–1.789
38
98
Josh Wise
Dogecoin
93.996
76.216
–1.831
39
40
Landon Cassill
TBA
92.970
77.057
–2.672
40
17
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Fastenal Ford Fusion
92.958
77.067
–2.682
41
7
Alex Bowman
Golden Corral
92.885
77.128
–2.743
42
46
Michael Annett
Bene-fit
92.378
77.551
–3.166
43
26
Jeb Burton
Maxim Fantasy Sports
92.251
77.658
–3.273
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