Jeff Gordon was the surprise of the field Saturday putting down a track record lap of late in the final session of knockout qualifying to win the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International.
Gordon made a lap of 1:08:26 129.466 miles per hour on the 2.45 mile road course late in the second of two knockout sessions besting a lap put down by Marcos Ambrose earlier. Ambrose had put down a record lap in the first session of 1:08:13, 129.491 mile per hour. The pole was Gordon’s third at Watkins Glen the last one coming in 2007.
“Oh gosh, I am so proud of this pole,” said Gordon who has three wins here the last in 2001. “Qualifying has really been what has been hurting us a Watkins Glen, and I blame myself really.” MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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