Richmond NASCAR: Jeff Gordon takes pole for Chase-deciding race
Jeff Gordon boosted his hopes of squeezing into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase by claiming pole for the deciding race at Richmond
Hendrick driver Gordon is currently 11th in the standings, six points away from the top 10 and yet to win this year.
His late 20.674-second, 130.599mph lap deposed the driver he is chasing in the championship: Furniture Row's Kurt Busch.
Busch holds 10th in the points at present and will share the front row on Saturday night.
Reigning champion Brad Keselowski - who is now a Chase long-shot - qualified third for Penske with his first lap before a big slide on lap two ended his pole bid.
The Toyotas of Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin completed the top six.
Regan Smith was 10th-fastest in Jimmie Johnson's Hendrick Chevrolet, having stood in for the four-time champion for one day only due to the birth of Johnson's second child.
Johnson will be back to take part in the race, but will have to start from last.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap
1. Jeff Gordon Hendrick Chevrolet 20.674s
2. Kurt Busch Furniture Row Chevrolet 20.716s +0.042s
3. Brad Keselowski Penske Ford 20.744s +0.070s
4. Clint Bowyer Waltrip Toyota 20.766s +0.092s
5. Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Toyota 20.791s +0.117s
6. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Toyota 20.793s +0.119s
7. Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet 20.819s +0.145s
8. Joey Logano Penske Ford 20.828s +0.154s
9. Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Ford 20.871s +0.197s
10. Regan Smith Hendrick Chevrolet 20.884s +0.210s
11. Martin Truex Jr Waltrip Toyota 20.894s +0.220s
12. Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet 20.910s +0.236s
13. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Toyota 20.911s +0.237s
14. Dale Earnhardt Jr Hendrick Chevrolet 20.919s +0.245s
15. Aric Almirola Petty Ford 20.921s +0.247s
16. Mark Martin Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 20.926s +0.252s
17. Kevin Harvick Childress Chevrolet 20.931s +0.257s
18. Kasey Kahne Hendrick Chevrolet 20.939s +0.265s
19. Jeff Burton Childress Chevrolet 20.960s +0.286s
20. Brian Vickers Waltrip Toyota 20.972s +0.298s
21. Ricky Stenhouse Jr Roush Fenway Ford 20.998s +0.324s
22. Paul Menard Childress Chevrolet 21.002s +0.328s
23. David Ragan Front Row Ford 21.014s +0.340s
24. Ryan Newman Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 21.031s +0.357s
25. Casey Mears Germain Ford 21.036s +0.362s
26. Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Ford 21.046s +0.372s
27. Josh Wise Front Row Ford 21.049s +0.375s
28. Landon Cassill Hillman Chevrolet 21.052s +0.378s
29. David Stremme Swan Toyota 21.081s +0.407s
30. Michael McDowell Parsons Ford 21.086s +0.412s
31. Joe Nemechek NEMCO Toyota 21.119s +0.445s
32. Marcos Ambrose Petty Ford 21.127s +0.453s
33. Travis Kvapil BK Toyota 21.145s +0.471s
34. AJ Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Toyota 21.172s +0.498s
35. David Reutimann BK Toyota 21.193s +0.519s
36. Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 21.212s +0.538s
37. David Gilliland Front Row Ford 21.218s +0.544s
38. Ryan Truex Phoenix Chevrolet 21.244s +0.570s
39. Reed Sorenson Leavine Ford 21.322s +0.648s
40. Dave Blaney Baldwin Chevrolet 21.361s +0.687s
41. Tony Raines Circle Sport Chevrolet 21.405s +0.731s
42. Ken Schrader FAS Lane Ford 21.450s +0.776s
43. JJ Yeley Baldwin Chevrolet 21.467s +0.793s
Did not qualify:
Mike Bliss Humphrey Smith Toyota 21.225s
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