AJ Allmendinger outpaces the NASCAR Cup Series rivals and grabs the pole position for Bristol night race

AJ Allmendinger grabbed the pole for the Bristol Night Race, his first Cup Series pole since 2015 and his first on an oval since 2012. The update was shared by NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck, who called it a shocker pole.

The fanbase that was otherwise focused on the 16 playoff drivers had to shift attention to Allmendinger and the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. Jeff Gluck's coverage of the same showed just how unexpected this result was.

Jeff Gluck

@jeff_gluck

Shocker pole at Bristol! AJ Allmendinger gets the pole position for the Bristol Night Race, his first Cup Series pole since 2015 (WGI) and his first pole on an oval since 2012 (Kansas).

Allmendinger lapped the half-mile in 15.117 seconds at 126.930 mph. That time was good enough to hold off Ryan Blaney by only three thousandths of a second. It was also Allmendinger’s fifth career Cup pole.

Motorsports.com reported that Allmendinger surprised even himself with the lap. He said qualifying at Bristol is extremely difficult, but his car performed well in practice and stuck on the first lap.

“I don’t know, I closed my eyes at a couple points,” he joked after stepping out of the car.

AJ Allmendinger admitted that while it is only qualifying, earning a pole at Bristol is special. He praised his Kaulig Racing team, pointing out how hard it is for a small organization to compete in the Cup Series. He said moments like this matter because they show the progress the team has made.

Calling himself an “old dog” with one more day in the spotlight, the 43-year-old showed hope that he can carry the pace through the full 500 laps on Saturday night. Joining AJ Allmendinger on the front row will be Ryan Blaney, who fell just short of pole with a lap of 15.120 seconds.

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AJ Allmendinger is open to Kaulig Racing’s Truck Series future

Before heading to Darlington for the Cook Out Southern 500, AJ Allmendinger spoke to the media about Kaulig Racing’s upcoming plans in the Truck Series. On August 23, RAM announced it would return to the Craftsman Truck Series in 2026 with Kaulig Racing.

The announcement was made at Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM, the dealership owned by Daniel Dye’s father in Daytona, Florida. RAM is expected to launch with five trucks, but no drivers have been confirmed. Reporters asked Allmendinger if he might take part in the program. According to Taylor Kitchen on X, he answered,

“I’ll drive whatever Chris [Rice] and Matt [Kaulig] want me to drive.”

Earlier, Bubba Wallace’s spotter Freddie Kraft speculated that Daniel Dye and Brenden “Butterbean” Queen could be in line for seats with RAM. Dye currently drives Kaulig’s No. 10 car in the Xfinity Series, while Queen is a rising driver linked to such opportunities.

Kaulig Racing already runs two Cup Series entries, with AJ Allmendinger in the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Ty Dillon in the No. 10 Chevrolet. In Xfinity, the team also fields Daniel Dye and Christian Eckes as full-time drivers. Adding a Truck Series program with RAM would give the organization a presence in all three of NASCAR’s national series.