MONTREAL, N.Y. (AP) — Marcos Ambrose has won the pole for the Nationwide race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Ambrose turned a fast lap of 97.079 mph Saturday to edge French Canadian star Jacques Villeneuve’s 96.924 mph. Joey Logano, who finished second at Watkins Glen to Ambrose three weeks ago, qualified third at 96.650 mph, while defending race winner Carl Edwards was fourth at 96.344 mph. Series points leader Brad Keselowski will start eighth in Sunday’s race.
Robby Gordon slid hard and smoked the tires during the first of his three qualifying laps. It’s his first Nationwide race of the season, so he had to qualify on time. Gordon rallied in his final two laps and will start 16th.
Qualifying was divided into eight groups, with assignments based on practice times from the first session, which Villeneuve and Edwards topped with identical speeds.