TALLADEGA, Ala. – It’s no secret that Talladega Superspeedway holds a special place in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s heart.
And as the driver takes the green flag in his final NASCAR Cup Series race at the 2.66-mile track tomorrow, he’ll be taking it from the pole position.
The driver of the No. 88 Mountain Dew Chevrolet SS logged the fastest lap in Saturday’s single-car qualifying session, earning the front-row starting position.
“All the credit for getting a pole in a place like this goes to the team, goes to the car, the guys that work on it, the engine, body man,” Earnhardt said. “We’ve got an amazing staff back in Charlotte that builds some awesome stuff. This place has meant a lot to me. it’s awesome to hear those fans happy for us. Hopefully, we’re gonna give them a lot more to cheer about before this weekend’s over.”
Teammate Chase Elliott clocked a fast lap as well and will take the checkered flag right beside Earnhardt from the outside pole.
“Congrats to Dale and the 88 team. They did a good job, too,” Elliott said. “Our team does great with this stuff and we definitely have a knack for it. Hopefully, we can just run good tomorrow and it lasts over the long haul.”
Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne also advanced to the final round of qualifying and will roll off the grid eighth and 11th, respectively.
Sunday's race is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.