For the second time this season a rookie will lead the field in a Sprint Cup race, as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the pole in qualifying Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The other rookie to win a pole was Stenhouse’s girlfriend Danica Patrick, who was the No. 1 qualifier in the season-opening Daytona 500.
NASCAR Atlanta 2013 qualifying results: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. scores first career pole
Rookie Ricky Stenhouse bested teammate Carl Edwards to earn his first career pole in qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Mike Ehrmann
With a lap of 189.688 mph, Stenhouse snatched the pole away from Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards, who will start second. It is Stenhouse’s first career pole; his previous best starting position was third at Kansas.
Rounding out the top five were Juan Pablo Montoya, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Gordon. Hamlin was driving with a splint on his right hand after spraining his thumb in an accident a week ago at Bristol Motor Speedway. Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson qualified in positions six through 10.
Like Hamlin, Truex injured himself at Bristol and is wearing a cast on his right hand after fracturing his wrist. He will have Scott Speed on standby in case he can’t complete the entire distance Sunday, but he said he expects to stay behind the wheel for the duration of the AdvoCare 500.
AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Starting Lineup
1) Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2) Carl Edwards
3) Juan Pablo Montoya
4) Denny Hamlin
5) Jeff Gordon
6) Matt Kenseth
7) Martin Truex Jr.
8) Dale Earnhardt Jr.
9) Kyle Busch
10) Jimmie Johnson
11) Joey Logano
12) Clint Bowyer
13) AJ Allmendinger
14) David Ragan
15) Jamie McMurray
16) Paul Menard
17) Ryan Newman
18) Kasey Kahne
19) Casey Mears
20) Marcos Ambrose
21) Danica Patrick
22) Brian Vickers
23) Brad Keselowski
24) Greg Biffle
25) David Stremme
26) Austin Dillon
27) Mark Martin
28) Jeff Burton
29) Aric Almirola
30) Kevin Harvick
31) David Gilliland
32) Kurt Busch
33) Josh Wise
34) David Reutimann
35) Scott Speed
36) Dave Blaney
37) Travis Kvapil
38) Mike Bliss
39) Landon Cassill
40) Joe Nemechek
41) Timmy Hill
42) JJ Yeley
43) Michael McDowell
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