NASCAR Cup Series

Chevrolet’s AJ Allmendinger received a final push from Paul Menard during the three-lap dash to the finish at Talladega Superspeedway, to finish fifth. The 188-lap NASCAR Sprint Cup race began with nine Chevrolet SS race cars leading the field to the green flag. At the end of the 499-mile race at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, five Chevrolet SS drivers recorded top-10 finishes. Allmendinger’s run was the first top-five finish for the No. 47 Bush’s Beans Chevrolet SS team this season.

Camry driver Denny Hamlin won Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Talladega Superspeedway.

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 BUSH’S BEANS CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 5TH - TELL US ABOUT THE LAST FEW LAPS OF THAT RACE AND HOW WILD IT WAS: “Yeah first off I have to thank everybody at RCR and ECR motors. Just so much speed in the race car. I’ve got to thank everybody at the No. 47 shop for doing such hard work and preparing this car so well. "

JOEY LOGANO – No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Fusion – “The 48 just started spinning out in front of me and when he caught it and had to save it, it’s Talladega. All of us are in a pack so when one car gets free then we all kind of get jumbled up there."

BRAD KESELOWSKI – No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion – WHAT HAPPENED? “I just spun out in front of the whole field. I don’t know why, if I just busted my butt on my own or lost a tire, but I feel bad for everyone that got torn up. We had a really fast Team Penske Ford, but I just feel bad for the whole Miller Lite team.”

The governing body of NASCAR is reminiscent of the ‘Great Oz’ with its true agenda hidden behind a curtain of mystery. Sleight of hand and misdirection create the illusion that NASCAR is a sport driven by the desires of its passionate fans.

Brian Scott won the pole for Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, where he posted a fast lap of 48.293 seconds, 198.290 mph in his No. 33 Shore Lodge Chevrolet SS. In a wild knockout-style qualifying format consisting of three sessions, the new method for restrictor plate race tracks netted Scott his first career pole in Sprint Cup competition. His previous best start was 12th in this year’s season-opening Daytona 500. Primarily a NASCAR Nationwide Series driver, Scott will lead the 43-car NASCAR Sprint Cup field to the green flag in just his fifth Cup start. It also marked the 31st pole for Chevrolet at the 2.66-mile track, the longest on the circuit.

KENNY FRANCIS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE/THANKAMILLIONTEACHERS.COM CHEVROLET SS – ON THE NO. 5 TEAMS TIME GETTING DISALLOWED: “Basically we had a malfunction with a ballast container. The cap that holds the ballast in came out. It could be mechanical or human error we are not really sure what happened. At the end of the day 25 pounds of ballast came out and we were 25 pounds light at the scales. The time was disallowed and we will have to start at the back.”

The Furniture Row Racing driver posted the 38th fastest qualifying speed at Talladega Superspeedway. A short time after qualifying, Truex's No. 78 Chevrolet was penalized by NASCAR for failing to meet the necessary height requirement. The penalty will result in Truex taking a provisional starting position at the rear of the field for Sunday's Aaron's 499.

BRIAN SCOTT, NO. 33 WHITETAIL CHEVROLET SS – POLE WINNER "It was a team effort. Big thanks to Joe Falk, Circle Sport Racing; everybody at RCR/ECR Engines. It is always a team effort to get these superspeedway poles. We had a plan from the beginning to work as a team. "