Coverage of Qualifying for the AdvoCare 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway is scheduled for Friday, August 31, 2012 at 6:10pm/et.
TV: SPEED - 6:00pm/et
Radio: live online at goprn.com
Scheduled qualifying re-air: 1:00am/et

September 2011 Pole Sitter: #4-Kasey Kahne, 186.196mph, finished 34th

Final March 2010 Pole Sitter: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 192.761, finished 15th

Track Qualifying Record: Geoffrey Bodine, 11/16/1997, 197.478mph

Last Race Won from 1st Starting Position: Kasey Kahne (03/19/2006)

Youngest Pole Winner: Terry Labonte (03/15/1981 - 24 years, 3 months, 27 days)

Oldest Pole Winner: Harry Gant (11/14/1993 - 53 years, 10 months, 4 days)

Pole Winners: 44

Fastest First Practice Speed: #56-Truex Jr., 185.220mph, scheduled to qualify 47th out of 47 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

Stewart wins pole at Atlanta: #14-Tony Stewart won the Coors Light pole for the AdvoCare 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a speed of 186.121mph for his 1st pole of 2012, 1st at AMS and 14th career pole.
#16-Biffle will start 2nd followed by #18-Busch, #17-Kenseth, #24-Gordon, #55-Martin, #11-Hamlin, #48-Johnson, #20-Logano and #9-Ambrose.
#10-Danica Patrick qualified 23rd, her best starting spot in her 5th start. #88-Earnhardt Jr. will start 35th.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #30-Stremme, #21-Bayne, #49-Leffler, #95-Speed, #87-Nemechek, #91-Sorenson, #23-Riggs and #37-Yeley.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (4): #98-McDowell, #33-Leicht, #26-Wise and #19-Bliss.
See qualifying results & starting lineup below or on the Starting Lineup page (pdf).(8-31-2012)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Atlanta:
#14-Tony Stewart won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 53rd Annual ADVOCARE 500 with a lap of 29.787 seconds, 186.121 mph.
This is his 14th pole in 489 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first pole and ninth top-10 start in 2012.
This is his first pole in 26 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
#16-Greg Biffle (second) posted his 16th top-10 start of 2012 and his seventh in 18 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
#18-Kyle Busch (third) posted his 10th top-10 start at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is his 14th in 25 races this season.
#26-Josh Wise (45th) was the fastest qualifying rookie [but failed to make the race].(NASCAR Statistics)(8-31-2012)

Pole Progression: (who had the pole first, who got it next and who ended up with it)
#19-Bliss, 1st out to qualify, 180.651?mph, DNQ
#83-Cassill, 2nd out, 181.224, starts 40th
#36-Blaney, 5th out, 183.747, starts 22nd
#20-Logano, 13th out, 185.084, starts 9th
#55-Martin, 18th out, 185.232, starts 6th
#24-Gordon, 26th, 185.307, starts 5th
#16-Biffle, 40th, 185.648, starts 2nd
#14-Stewart, 45th, 186.121, 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
[47 entered for 43 spots]:
have qualified for the race:
#30-David Stremme, 183.037
#21-Trevor Bayne, 182.886
#49-Jason Leffler, 182.675
#95-Scott Speed, 182.549
#87-Joe Nemechek, 182.380
#91-Reed Soresnon, 182.189
#23-Scott Riggs, 182.141
#37-J.J. Yeley, 182.069
will miss the race:
#98-Michael McDowell, 181.776
#26-Josh Wise#, 181.390
#33-Stephen Leicht#, 181.283
#19-Mike Bliss, 180.651

Friday practice for the AdvoCare 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway is over, after 90 scheduled minutes, the top five, slowest and notes:
#56-Truex Jr. 185.220
#18-Busch 184.831
#14-Stewart 184.253
#2-Keselowski 183.631
#5-Kahne 183.613
slowest: #19-Bliss 175.944 & #83-Cassill 176.269
notes: this practice will set the order for qualifying, fastest goes out last, slowest goes out first. Qualifying is scheduled for 6:10pm/et Friday night, to be aired on SPEED and can be heard live via goprn.com.
See speeds, best top-10 average and laps run on the Atlanta practice 1 speeds page (pdf).(8-31-2012)

Go-or-Go Homers practice at Atlanta: how fast/slow were the drivers who are not in the top-35 of owners points and must qualify by speed to make the Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where they practiced in the first practice:
the eight drivers who would make the race if things stayed the same:
#21-Bayne, 21st fastest overall
#98-McDowell, 24th
#30-Stremme, 25th
#37-Yeley, 33th
#95-Speed, 34th
#91-Sorenson, 36th
#23-Riggs, 37th
#33-Leicht, 38th
the four drivers who would miss the race if things stayed the same:
#49-Leffler, 39th
#87-Nemechek, 40th
#26-Wise, 41st
#19-Bliss, 47th/last
(8-31-2012)

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.