TALLADEGA, Ala. — Juan Pablo Montoya won the first pole of his NASCAR career on Saturday with a strong lap at Talladega Superspeedway.
Montoya ran a lap at 188.171 mph, then had to wait almost two hours to see if his time would hold. He returned to his motor home for a snack and surfed the Internet as car after car failed to knock him from the top.
Greg Biffle almost did, posting a speed of 188.141 to qualify second.
“That’s all she had,” Biffle said. “You think about what you can do different. I feel like I did everything I could.”
After his lap, Montoya figured teammate Martin Truex Jr. would be his toughest competition for the pole. But Truex’s lap at 187.971 mph was third.
Truex said Montoya, who finished second to Kyle Busch in this race a year ago, can contend for the win today.
“He’s had some great finishes, and I think he’s smart about the draft and he’s calmed down since the first few races when he may have tried too hard all day,” Truex said. “He’s smart. We worked together at Daytona, and he made all the decisions I would have made when he was in front of me.”
Truex won the pole for the season-opening Daytona 500, and Montoya’s run gives Earnhardt Ganassi Racing poles in both restrictor-plate races this season. Sam Hornish Jr. qualified fourth, and Clint Bowyer was fifth.
Ragan edges Newman.
David Ragan earned his first NASCAR victory by passing Ryan Newman right before the finish line in the Nationwide Series race at Talladega.
Ragan won for the first time in 196 starts — 85 in Nationwide — spanning all three of NASCAR’s top series.
“We’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Ragan said. “I didn’t know if it would come this weekend or not. A lot of fun. A lot of emotions. We’ve got 500 miles to do it again tomorrow.”
• The NASCAR truck race in Kansas City, Kan., was suspended because of thunderstorms and will resume Monday with Mike Skinner leading.
Footnotes.
Graham Rahal earned his second pole in three races and will be joined on the front row by surprising teammate Robert Doornbos for today’s IRL race in Kansas City, Kan.
• Toyota’s Jarno Trulli claimed the pole position for today’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir, with teammate Timo Glock posting the second-fastest time.
Today’s races
NASCAR SPRINT CUP
Aaron’s 499
Site: Talladega, Ala.
TV: Fox, 11 a.m.
Track: Talladega (2.66-mile tri-oval, 33 degrees in turns).
Race distance: 500 miles, 188 laps.
Next race: Russell Friedman 400, Richmond, Va.
INDY RACING LEAGUE
Road Runner Turbo 300
Site: Kansas City, Kan.
TV: Versus, 2 p.m.
Track: Kansas Speedway (1.5-mile tri-oval, 15-degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.
Next race: Indianapolis 500, May 24, Indianapolis.
FORMULA ONE
Bahrain Grand Prix
Site: Sakhir, Bahrain.
TV: Speed, 5:30 a.m.
Track: Bahrain Circuit (3.37 miles, 15 turns).
Race distance: 191.53 miles, 57 laps.
Next race: Spanish Grand Prix, May 10, Cataluyna.
