All News Boris Said Brian Vickers Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jeff Gordon Jimmie Johnson Kasey Kahne Mark Martin Ricky Rudd Robby Gordon Ryan Newman

Sonoma Qualifying Notes:

June 24, 2005 at 12:00 AM

• Jeff Gordon won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Bud Pole for the Dodge/SaveMart 350, lapping Infineon Raceway in 75.950 seconds at 94.325 mph. He broke his own trackqualifying record of 75.968 seconds, 94.303 mph, set in 2004.
• This is Jeff Gordon’s 54th career Bud Pole in 417 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races. He remains seventh on the all-time Bud Pole list.
• This is Jeff Gordon’s fifth Bud Pole in 13 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Infineon Raceway. He broke a tie with Ricky Rudd for the most Bud Poles at Infineon.
• This is Gordon’s seventh career road-course Bud Pole. He has won five of the last eight Bud Poles at Infineon and went on to score victories in four of the races when he won the Bud Pole.
• Jeff Gordon became the third repeat Bud Pole winner this season, joining Ryan Newman (five) and Kasey Kahne (two).
• Jimmie Johnson posted the second-quickest qualifying lap of 76.079 seconds, 94.165 mph – and will join Jeff Gordon on the front row for the Dodge/SaveMart 350. Johnson’s previous best road-course qualifying effort was 12th at Watkins Glen in 2002, his rookie season. He started from the Bud Pole at Watkins Glen last year when qualifying was canceled. He has two top-five finishes in his six road-course races with his best being fourth at Watkins Glen in 2003.
• This is the second front-row sweep for Hendrick Motorsports in 2005. Gordon started on the Bud Pole and Brian Vickers started second at California Speedway in February.
• This is the sixth Bud Pole for Chevrolet in 2005. Dodge has seven Bud Poles and Ford has two. Qualifying was canceled at Dover.
• Mark Martin (third) has posted 12 top-10 starts in his 17 Infineon races, including nine top-fives. It is his first top-10 start this season.
• Boris Said (fourth) qualified for his 16th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race – his 10th on a road course. It is his third top-10 start in six races at Infineon.
• Robby Gordon (fifth) posted his fourth top-10 start in eight races at Infineon Raceway. It is his second top-10 start this season – both in the past two races.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr, (10th) posted his first top-10 start in six races at Infineon and his second top-10 start in 2005.
• There have been nine different Bud Pole winners in the last 13 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Infineon Raceway. Jeff Gordon (1998, 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2005) is the only repeat Bud Pole winner in the 13-race period.(NASCAR Statsistical Services)(6-24-2005)