AJ
Allmendinger justified the confidence expressed in him by team owner
Roger Penske today, claiming the pole position for the Johnsonville Sausage 200
at Road America in Elkhart Lake,
Wisconsin.
The
California native drove Penske’s No. 22
Discount Tire Ford Mustang to a
fast lap in 2:13.410 seconds at 109.233 mph to claim his first career Nationwide
pole in his ninth series starts and his first since 2008. He snapped the record,
four-race pole streak of Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon, who
struggled in qualifying on the challenging Road America road course and will
start 14th this afternoon.
Australian
road racer Owen Kelly will start second in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Monster
Energy Toyota, followed by Parker Kligerman, Justin Allgaier and
Michael McDowell. Completing the Top-10 were defending race winner Nelson Piquet Jr., road racer Billy Johnson (driving for Roush Fenway
Racing), Sam Hornish
Jr., Brian Vickers and Max Papis in
a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.
Championship contender Elliott Sadler lost his second engine of the weekend during his multi-car qualifying session, after failing to complete a lap in either practice round. He will start at the tail of the field today.
Championship contender Elliott Sadler lost his second engine of the weekend during his multi-car qualifying session, after failing to complete a lap in either practice round. He will start at the tail of the field today.
Good for A.J. and good for Roger for keeping him on!
ReplyDeleteVery happy for AJ. He has so much talent behind the wheel of anything he drives. Even more impressed with Roger Penske for standing by AJ. A true test of character and leadership.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note who is this Billy Johnson cat? Wow! I was expecting some old time road ringer 40+ in age to get out of the car. Very impressive.