Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon picked up his third career pole at Watkins Glen International with a qualifying lap of 129.466 mph. He narrowly edged road specialist Marcos Ambrose -- who, according to the Associated Press, ran the fastest qualifying lap (129.491 mph) ever at the Glen during the first round of qualifying -- with Gordon’s teammate Jimmie Johnson close behind in third. The other notable name in the Top 10 is Ryan Newman, who put himself in prime position to move up from 13th in the Chase standings with his performance in qualifying.
NASCAR Watkins Glen 2014: Lineup, starting grid for Cheez-It 355
Jeff Gordon and Marcos Ambrose will be leading the pack for the Sprint Cup’s last road race of 2014, as NASCAR makes it way through Watkins Glen International for the Cheez-It 355.
Jeff Zelevansky
Update: Regan Smith will be driving Tony Stewart’s No. 14 car a day after Stewart struck and killed an on-foot driver during a dirt track event in New York. Smith “starts” in the 13th spot in the grid, but must drop to the back of the pack before the green flag.
Cheez-It 355 coverage (all times Eastern):
TV: ESPN -- Noon.
Green flag: Approximately 1:19 p.m.
Online: NASCAR.com RaceView (subscription required)
Radio: Motor Racing Network -- Sirius-XM channel 90
Cheez-It 355 starting lineup
| Position | Driver | Make | Speed |
| 1 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 129.466 |
| 2 | Marcos Ambrose | Ford | 129.138 |
| 3 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 128.968 |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | 128.859 |
| 5 | Kurt Busch | Chevrolet | 128.816 |
| 6 | A.J. Allmendinger | Chevrolet | 128.701 |
| 7 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | 128.186 |
| 8 | Matt Kenseth | Toyota | 128.179 |
| 9 | Brad Keselowski | Ford | 128.052 |
| 10 | Ryan Newman | Chevrolet | 127.867 |
| 11 | Joey Logano | Ford | 127.761 |
| 12 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | 127.510 |
| 13 | Regan Smith (for Tony Stewart) | Chevrolet | 128.205 |
| 14 | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | 128.131 |
| 15 | Justin Allgaier | Chevrolet | 128.026 |
| 16 | Carl Edwards | Ford | 127.839 |
| 17 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 127.782 |
| 18 | Cole Whitt | Toyota | 127.715 |
| 19 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 127.575 |
| 20 | Paul Menard | Chevrolet | 127.573 |
| 21 | Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. | Ford | 127.562 |
| 22 | Casey Mears | Chevrolet | 127.322 |
| 23 | Kyle Larson | Chevrolet | 127.309 |
| 24 | Clint Bowyer | Toyota | 127.278 |
| 25 | Martin Truex Jr. | Chevrolet | 127.245 |
| 26 | David Ragan | Ford | 127.243 |
| 27 | Aric Almirola | Ford | 127.197 |
| 28 | Greg Biffle | Ford | 127.192 |
| 29 | Michael McDowell | Ford | 127.177 |
| 30 | Kasey Kahne | Chevrolet | 127.012 |
| 31 | Austin Dillon | Chevrolet | 126.819 |
| 32 | Nelson Piquet Jr. | Ford | 126.715 |
| 33 | David Gilliland | Ford | 126.704 |
| 34 | Boris Said | Ford | 126.571 |
| 35 | Ryan Truex | Toyota | 126.508 |
| 36 | Alex Bowman | Toyota | 125.824 |
| 37 | Josh Wise | Chevrolet | 125.566 |
| 38 | Alex Kennedy | Chevrolet | 125.266 |
| 39 | Reed Sorenson | Chevrolet | 125.122 |
| 40 | Joe Nemechek | Toyota | 125.101 |
| 41 | Landon Cassill | Chevrolet | 124.986 |
| 42 | Michael Annett | Chevrolet | 124.981 |
| 43 | Danica Patrick | Chevrolet | 124.956 |
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