Allmendinger cruised through the first round of pole qualifying at the Glen, and held off Martin Truex Jr.in the final round to claim the top starting spot for Sunday’s race.
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He found them on Saturday, winning the pole in knockout qualifying at Watkins Glen global.
WATKINS GLEN, New York – AUGUST 08: AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #47 Kroger/Bush’s Beans Chevrolet, … So, too, does Kyle Busch.
Gordon initially posted the fastest speed in Round 2 before Harvick bumped NASCAR’s all-time winningest road course driver off the pole. Busch simply needs a solid finish to continue his remarkable comeback.
Busch, who is just outside the top 30 in points, is starting in a good spot with five races left in NASCAR’s regular season.
Marcos Ambrose used his road-course skills to win at Watkins Glen. I felt good about the auto after practice.
“I feel really good about the auto in race trim”, Truex said.
The 33-year-old Allmendinger has emerged as one of the top road racers in the series.
Nine of 32 Cup races at Watkins Glen have been won from the pole, the most recent Kyle Busch in 2008, and two have been won from second. However, during his first laps in practice Friday, the JTG Daugherty Racing driver struggled to find speed.
At least one obstacle is gone.
Allmendinger’s victory in last year’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen is his only career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory.
Allmendinger didn’t waste time taking advantage, capturing the pole on Saturday.
“Last year was special and it just makes you want to do it more and more”, he said after his qualifying effort. If the opportunity is there, he or she is going to go out there to do whatever they can to get the win. “For that reason I think it’s a lot different from past year”. “The only difference is having the confidence that if it comes down to crunch time like that, I’m able to go out there and make it happen”.
Tony Stewart, a five-time victor at Watkins Glen, starts third and Kevin Harvick, who won at Watkins Glen in 2006, starts fourth.
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There are two road courses on the schedule each year. That was the same vehicle that he drove to victory here a year ago and the same auto he’ll race on Sunday. Everybody’s so close. It’s tough to pass. You start beating and banging on each other.
