Coverage of Qualifying for the is scheduled for Friday, June 22, 2012 at 6:40pm/et.
Television (TV): SPEED, NOT LIVE, same day delay at 11:00pm/et
Radio: LIVE on Performace Racing Network Live Streaming
Scheduled Qualifying TV Replay: none

June 2011 Pole Sitter: #20-Joey Logano, 93.258mph, finished 6th

Track Qualifying Record: Rusty Wallace, June 2000, 99.309mph (old layout)

Track Qualifying Record: Jeff Gordon, 6/24/2005, 94.325mph (current layout)

Oldest Pole Winner: Rusty Wallace, 43 years, 10 months, 11 days, 6/25/2000

Youngest Pole Winner: Joey Logano, 21 years, 1 month, 0 days, 6/24/2011

Fastest First Practice Speed: #24-Gordon, 94.696mph, scheduled to qualify 44th out of 44 drivers

NOTE: no longer doing semi-live qualifying on Jayski.com.
NASCAR.com and FoxSports have live realtime qualifying and hits for my qualifying pages were way down in 2011 due to the availabilty of the real-time qualifying found at those sites.
Will continue to post Jayski.com's unique qualifying results below, to help explain how drivers made the race.
For Realtime qualifying, check out:
NASCAR.com and FoxSports

Ambrose wins pole at Sonoma: #9-Marcos Ambrose won the pole for the Toyota / Save Mart 350 Sprint Cup Series race at Sonoma with a speed of 95.262mph for a new track record [in the current layout], his 2nd pole of 2012, 2nd pole in a row and 2nd career pole. This is the third race in a row the old track record was broken, joining Pocono and Michigan.
#24-Gordon starts 2nd followed by #48-Johnson, #16-Biffle, #56-Truex, Jr., #15-Bowyer, #18-Busch, $51-Busch, #17-Kenseth and #39-Newman. Last weeks race winner, #88-Earnhardt Jr., starts 19th.
Ambrose is only the third driver to ever win his first career pole then back it up with another pole the following race, joining Casey Mears [2004 Indy & Pocono] and Billy Wade [1964 Old Bridge, NJ & Bridgehampton, NY]. Ambrose became the 4th foreign born driver to win a pole last week at Michigan and is the 2nd foreign born driver to win more then one pole, Juan Pablo Montoya has seven poles.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #95-Speed, #98-Mayhew, #7-Gordon, #87-Nemechek, #19-Cook, #49-Yeley, #26-Wise and #33-Leicht.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (1): #30-Simo.
Qualifying was not televised live but can se seen on SPEED tonight at 11:00pm/et.
See qualifying results & starting lineup below or on the Starting Lineup page (pdf).(6-22-2012)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Sonoma:
#9-Marcos Ambrose won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 24th Annual Toyota/Save Mart 350 with a lap of 75.203 seconds, 95.262 mph.
This is his second pole in 135 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his second pole and seventh top-10 start in 2012.
This is his first pole in five races at Sonoma.
#24-Jeff Gordon (second) posted his fifth top-10 start of 2012 and his 15th in 20 races at Sonoma.
#48-Jimmie Johnson (third) posted his fourth top-10 start at Sonoma. It is his 10th in 16 races this season.
#26-Josh Wise (40th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.(NASCAR Statistics)(6-22-2012)

Pole Progression: (who had the pole first, who got it next and who ended up with it)
#10-Drissi, 1st out to qualify, 90.579mph, starts 41st
#19-Cook, 3rd out, 92.076mph, starts 37th
#87-Nemechek, 4th out, 92.140mph, starts 36th
#98-Mayhew, 9th out, 92.833mph, starts 33rd
#36-Blaney, 11th out, 92.964mph, starts 32nd
#34-Ragan, 12th out, 93.166mph, starts 29th
#55-Vickers, 15th out, 93.949mph, starts 21st
#13-Mears. 17th out, 93.991mph, starts 20th
#5-Kahne, 19th out, 94.206mph, starts 15th
#42-Montoya, 23rd out, 94.319mph, starts 12th
#17-Kenseth, 25th out, 94.524mph, starts 9th TRACK RECORD
#16-Biffle, 28th out, 94.722mph, starts 4th TRACK RECORD
#48-Johnson, 35th out, 94.795mph, starts 3rd TRACK RECORD
#9-Ambrose, 38th out, 95.262mph, starts 1st TRACK RECORD

How did the non Top-35 teams do in qualifying?
Fastest 7 get in, 8th [43rd] spot goes to most recent past champ not in the race already or 8th fastest
[44 entered for 43 spots]:
have qualified for the race:
#95-Scott Speed, 93.913
#98-David Mayhew, 92.833
#7-Robby Gordon, 92.563
#87-Joe Nemechek, 92.140
#19-Chris Cook, 92.076
#49-J.J. Yeley, 91.927
#26-Josh Wise#, 91.729
#33-Stephen Leicht, 91.686
will miss the race:
#30-Brian Simo, 91.078

Friday practice is being run for the Toyota / Save Mart 350(k) Sprint Cup Series race at Sonoma is over, after 90 scheduled minutes, the top five, slowest and notes:
#24-Gordon 94.696
#56-Truex Jr. 94.471
#15-Bowyer 94.411
#20-Logano 94.379
#18-Busch 94.348
Slowest: #33-Leicht 89.255 (engine) & #10-Drissi 90.997
notes: #33-Leicht lost an engine early in the session, if he makes the race [is a go-or-go homer], he will need to fall to the rear of the field on Sunday before the drop of the green flag.
This pracitce will set the qualifying order for qualifying, which is scheduled for 6:40pm/et, which will NOT be televised LIVE on TV, but will be shown same-day-delay at 11:00pm/et on SPEED. PRN will air live qualifying radio coverage at goprn.com.
See the fastest speeds, laps run, best 10 laps average on the Sonoma Practice 1 Speeds page (pdf).(6-22-2012)

Go-or-go homers: where did the nine cars outside the top-35 in owners points practice at Sonoma
these drivers would make the race if the things stay the same:
#95-Speed 19th fastest overall
#7-Gordon 34th
#98-Mayhew 35th
#49-Yeley 37th
#26-Wise 38th
#30-Simo 39th
#87-Nemechek 40th
#19-Cook 41st
if things stay the same, this driver would miss the race
#33-Leicht 44th/last [lost an engine]
(6-22-2012)

Race info at: Race Info Page

Event Entry List

Past Champions Provisional page

All Time Sprint Cup Pole Winners

2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying procedures:
1) qualifying order will be determined by the driver's fastest lap in first practice.
2) times on the speed sheet will be inverted with the slowest cars attempting their qualifying runs first
3) go-or-go-home cars will now qualify among the 35 teams locked in on owner points and not be separated by the field. 4) the NASCAR Sprint Cup director does reserve the right to change a driver's qualifying order or allow "adjustments or repairs" to cars after the car has taken the green flag at the start/finish line.
5) all cars must qualify with a full fuel cell.
6) qualifying consists of two consecutive timed laps (except at road courses, 1 lap)
7) the fastest lap determines qualifying position
8) in case of a rain-out of practice, a random drawing will be held for cars set up in the garage area to determine qualifying order
9) if qualifying is rained out, the order of the field will be set according to Section 9-5 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup rule book.

If first practice is run, but qualifying is unable to take place, the starting lineup will be based on speeds from the car's fastest lap from the first practice, with top-35 cars in owner points no longer segregated from the non-top 35 cars. Previously, the top 35 cars lined up in front of all other eligible car owners.(NASCAR)(7-7-2011)

Past Champions Provisional Berths in Sprint Cup: A past champion's provisional may be used by an eligible driver a maximum of six times over the course of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. A team with a past champion eligible driver may only use this provisional a maximum of six times during a season. The provisional gives the eligible driver the 43rd and final starting position in the race field. This is only for a team/driver OUTSIDE the top-35 in owners points, drivers whose team is in the top-35 in owners points, would already be guaranteed in the field and not need the Past Champions Provisional
See my Past Champions Provisional Page for more.

What happens if all qualifying gets cancelled [rain/weather/other]?
If bad weather cancels qualifying, the final starting lineup will be determined by practice speeds. The same rule book procedures will be used to determine eligibility to start a race. If weather cancels practice sessions, then the starting lineup will be set by points, per the rule book.

If qualifying AND all practices are cancled, then:
If it is during the first 5 races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Position [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners position [not in by rules 1-4]
#6) - For 2nd race of season, teams that missed Daytona 500, are seeded in owners points by thier finish in the Duels
#7) - Randon Draw if more then one team with no attempts

If qualifying is cancled by at least one practice gets run, then:
If it is the first 5 races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Position [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners position [not in by rules 1-4]
#6) - For 2nd race of season, teams that missed Daytona 500, are seeded in owners points by thier finish in the Duels
#7) - Randon Draw if more then one team with no attempts
#8) - One it is determined which teams/driver made the race, then the field is set by 1st practice speeds.

What happens if just qualifying is cancelled?
If it is during the first 5 races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Position [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners position [not in by rules 1-4]
#6) - For 2nd race of season, teams that missed Daytona 500, are seeded in owners points by thier finish in the Duels
#7) - Randon Draw if more then one team with no attempts
#8) - One it is determined which teams/driver made the race, then the field is set by 1st practice speeds.

What happens if just qualifying is cancelled?
AFTER the 5th race of the season, the current season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - First 35 by current Owner Points [team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Last Years Sprint Cup Champ or the Event Champion if not already in the field
#3) - Car Owners whose team has won in the previous and current season not already in the field
#4) - Drivers who have won in the previous and current season not already in the field
#5) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 thru 4
#6) - Qualifying Attempts with current Owners points as the tie breaker
#7) - NASCAR will hold a draw for teams with no owners points / attempts
#8) - One it is determined which teams/driver made the race, then the field is set by 1st practice speeds.

NOTE: all above apply as long as the team was entered by the entry deadline - usually 7-13 days before the race

2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying procedures:
1) qualifying order will be determined by the driver's fastest lap in first practice.
2) times on the speed sheet will be inverted with the slowest cars attempting their qualifying runs first
3) go-or-go-home cars will now qualify among the 35 teams locked in on owner points and not be separated by the field. 4) the NASCAR Sprint Cup director does reserve the right to change a driver's qualifying order or allow "adjustments or repairs" to cars after the car has taken the green flag at the start/finish line.
5) all cars must qualify with a full fuel cell.
6) qualifying consists of two consecutive timed laps (except at road courses, 1 lap)
7) the fastest lap determines qualifying position
8) in case of a rain-out of practice, a random drawing will be held for cars set up in the garage area to determine qualifying order
9) if qualifying is rained out, the order of the field will be set according to Section 9-5 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup rule book.