For what seems like the one-gazillionth time in his career, Jeff Gordon will start from the pole on raceday. The NASCAR legend won his 71st-career pole Saturday, taking the top spot for tomorrow's Aaron's 499 at the Talladega Superspeedway. It marks the 20th-consecutive season that Gordon has won a pole position. His Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet turned a lap of 49.97 seconds to secure the No. 1 starting spot.
A.J. Allmendinger sat on the pole for most of the session before Gordon knocked him off the top perch. He will still start second in pursuit of his first Sprint Cup victory. Richard Petty Motorsports teammates Marcos Ambrose and Aric Almirola will share the second row, while Kasey Kahne was fifth.
Roush-Fenway Racing teammates Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards were sixth and seventh, ahead of Tony Stewart, Michael Waltrip, and Matt Kenseth. Kenseth, of course, won the first restrictor-plate race of the season when he won the 54th-annual Daytona 500 in February.
Fan-favorite - especially in Talladega - Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 18th-quickest, one spot ahead of his teammate and the driver he pushed to the win in last year's race, Jimmie Johnson.
Unadilla's David Ragan was 32nd-quickest in his Front Row Motorsports Ford, while legendary Bill Elliott of Dawsonville was 36th in Joe Nemechek's No. 97 Toyota.
Missing the show was J.J. Yeley in his No. 49 Toyota.