Coverage of Qualifying for the Finger Lakes 355(k) Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International is scheduled for Saturday, August 11, 2012 at 11:40am/et.
TV: ESPN2 - 11:30am/et
Scheduled qualifying re-air: none

2011 Pole Sitter: #18-Kyle Busch, 126.421, finished 3rd

Track Qualifying Record: Kyle Busch, August 2011, 126.421mph

Worst Starting Spot to Win: Steve Park, August 2000, started 18th

Youngest Pole Winner: Jeff Gordon (08/09/1998 - 27 years, 0 months, 5 days)

Oldest Pole Winner: Morgan Shepherd (08/13/1989 - 47 years, 10 months, 1 days)

Fastest First Practice Speed: #51-Busch, 125.055mph, scheduled to qualify 43rd out of 43 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

Coverage of Qualifying for the Finger Lakes 355 Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International is scheduled for Saturday, August 11, 2012 at 11:40am/et.
Television (TV): ESPN2, 11:30am/et
Scheduled Qualifying Re-Air: none

Montoya wins pole at Watkins Glen: #42-Juan Pablo Montoya won the pole for the Finger Lakes 355(k) Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International with a speed of 127.020mph for his 2nd pole of 2012 and 9th career pole. Montoya has not won a race from the pole position.
#18-Busch will start 2nd followed by #48-Johnson, #2-Keselowski, #9-Ambrose, #39-Newman, #14-Stewart, #15-Bowyer, #56-Truex, Jr. & #1-McMurray.
#93-Kvapil wrecked on qualifying lap, hitting the wall in turn 7 and will go to a backup car.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #98-McDowell, #95-Speed, #87-Nemechek, #26-Wise, #33-Leicht, #19-Cook, #49-Leffler and #30-Long.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (0): none, only 43 cars entered.
See qualifying results & starting lineup below or on the Starting Lineup page (pdf).(8-11-2012)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Watkins Glen:
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 27th Annual Finger Lakes 355 at The Glen with a lap of 69.438 seconds, 127.020 mph - a new track record.
This is his ninth pole in 203 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his second pole and third top-10 start in 2012.
This is his first pole in six races at Watkins Glen International.
#18-Kyle Busch (second) posted his 12th top-10 start of 2012 and his seventh in eight races at Watkins Glen International.
#48-Jimmie Johnson (third) posted his ninth top-10 start at Watkins Glen International. It is his 15th in 22 races this season.
#26-Josh Wise (38th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.(NASCAR Statistics)(8-11-2012)

Pole Progression: (who had the pole first, who got it next and who ended up with it)
#30-Long, 1st out to qualify, 117.551mph, starts 43rd
#19-Cook, 2nd out, 118.879, starts 40th
#33-Leicht, 3rd out, 122.335, starts 39th
#26-Wise, 5th out, 122.531, starts 38th
#83-Cassill, 6th out, 123.471, starts 35th
#34-Ragan, 9th out, 123.868, starts 32nd
#47-Labonte, 12th out, 124.715, starts 26th
#1-McMurray, 14th out, 125.959, starts 10th
#15-Bowyer, 25th out, 126.061, starts 8th
#42-Montoya, 32nd out, 127.020 [TRACK RECORD], starts 1st

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
[43 entered for 43 spots]:
have qualified for the race:
#98-Michael McDowell, 125.713
#95-Scott Speed, 125.334
#87-Joe Nemechek, 123.436
#26-Josh Wise#, 122.531
#33-Stephen Leicht, 122.335
#19-Chris Cook, 118.879
#49-Jason Leffler, 118.742
#30-Patrick Long, 117.551
will miss the race:
none, only 43 cars entered

Friday practice: for the Finger Lakes 355 Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International is over, after approx 60 scheduled minutes, the top-five, slowest, notes:
#51-Busch 125.055
#39-Newman 124.406
#2-Keselowski 124.126
#14-Stewart 124.120
#24-Gordon 124.044
slowest: #30-Long 117.743 & #19-Cook 119.645
notes: the first practice was rained out so this practice will set the qualifying order. A Saturday morning Sprint Cup practice has been added, scheduled to run 8:00-9:25am/et, no word yet on any TV coverage.
Qualifying is scheduled for 11:40am/et on Saturday, August 11th and to be aired on ESPN2.
#31-Burton got his backup out and was up to speed. #11-Hamlin got his backup out and it started smoking, so he took it back to the garage. #30-Long lost an engine just after midway, leaving oil on the track, #11-Hamlin then wrecked and #31-Burton ran into the #11, the #11 and #31 will both go to backup cars. #18-Busch spun out off turn 5. #93-Kvapil spun out in turn one, was was able to drive on with no damage.
See speeds and laps run on the Watkins Glen practice 1 speeds page (pdf).(8-10-2012)

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.