AJ Allmendinger Wins First NASCAR Cup Pole in Over a Decade at Bristol

AJ Allmendinger secured a surprising pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, his first pole since 2015 and first at a short track since 2012. He posted a lap time of 15.117 seconds, narrowly edging Ryan Blaney by 0.003 seconds to start on the front row. Allmendinger, driving the No. 16 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing, emphasized the significance of this achievement for his smaller team and expressed optimism for the race despite being ranked 21st in the standings. The Bristol race marks the final event in the Round of 16 for the Cup playoffs, with other playoff contenders like Austin Cindric and Josh Berry facing critical points battles. The starting lineup features notable drivers such as Austin Cindric in third, Ty Gibbs fourth, and Kyle Larson fifth, with all 39 entered cars set to compete. The event is scheduled for Saturday night with coverage on USA Network and various streaming platforms.