On September 12, 2025, AJ Allmendinger achieved a surprising milestone by securing a pole position at Bristol Motor Speedway, ending a difficult 13-year stretch without a pole on an oval track. This remarkable performance caught attention as the Kaulig Racing driver outpaced established playoff contenders during qualifying for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.
Allmendinger, who returned to full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition in 2025 after a two-year absence, has long been celebrated for his prowess on road courses. However, his recent lap of 15.117 seconds on the 0.533-mile short track marked his fifth career Cup Series pole and the first on an oval in over a decade, reviving his hopes of overcoming his well-known challenges on oval circuits.
The Return of AJ Allmendinger’s Oval Racing Form
AJ Allmendinger’s racing career had been most decorated on road courses, where he claimed victories at Watkins Glen, Indianapolis, and Charlotte, and amassed 18 Xfinity Series wins. Yet, his performance on oval tracks had stagnated since April 2012, when he briefly shined by taking pole at Kansas Speedway by a razor-thin margin of 0.043 seconds for Penske Racing.
Since then, he had been unable to make a notable impact on oval tracks until this recent qualifying effort at Bristol. Before this breakthrough, his last Cup Series pole position came in 2015 at Watkins Glen, a road course, underscoring the rarity of his oval qualifying success.
Reflecting on his standout lap, Allmendinger expressed his surprise, saying,
“I don’t know, I closed my eyes at a couple points. I’m not really sure. This Chevy was pretty good in practice, and this place is so tough to qualify. The first lap, she stuck and I looked down at the dash like okay, that’s a pretty good lap. I know it’s just qualifying. We got 500 laps around this place but to get a pole at Bristol is pretty awesome.”
—AJ Allmendinger, NASCAR Driver
His pole-winning Chevrolet, fielded by Kaulig Racing, has steadily improved throughout the season, despite the team’s small size and limited resources compared to powerhouse organizations. Allmendinger acknowledged the significance of this qualifying accomplishment for his team:
“Every old dog has his day. Hopefully we can do that for 500 laps, but I’m super proud of all the men and women at Kaulig Racing. We’ve been building fast cars all year, and this Cup Series is tough — especially when you’re a small team trying to grow. Little victories like this — even though it’s qualifying — means a lot to us.”
—AJ Allmendinger, NASCAR Driver
Playoff Favorites Struggle as Allmendinger Surfaces
Entering the weekend, the focus was mainly on proven playoff contenders like Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin, who had dominated Bristol in recent years. However, both Larson and Hamlin failed to secure top starting positions, qualifying fifth and sixth respectively. This unexpected opening allowed Allmendinger to generate buzz as a potential disruptor on the short track.
Though not currently a playoff driver, Allmendinger’s unexpected qualifying pace injects uncertainty into the upcoming night race, challenging the dominance of veteran contenders from Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing.
Josh Berry’s Rocky Path Through the Playoffs
Meanwhile, another driver to watch at Bristol is Josh Berry, the Wood Brothers Racing driver who impressed fans with his breakthrough Cup Series win earlier in the year. Berry achieved his first victory in mid-March but has found sustained success elusive since, managing just three top-ten finishes and suffering six DNFs.
Heading into Bristol, Berry is positioned 45 points below the playoff elimination cutoff, placing him at a precarious spot among the playoff drivers. Despite setbacks from crashes at the Southern 500 and Gateway, where bad luck and collisions with other drivers interrupted his campaigns, Berry remains hopeful for a strong performance.
Berry voiced his thoughts ahead of the race, highlighting the uncertainty and need for resilience:
“Now, if we want to advance to the next round we need to win, but we could lead 400 laps Saturday night and blow an engine or have a flat tire and I don’t think any of us on Monday would be disappointed because we ran good. The biggest thing is we just need to run well and be in contention on Saturday night and see what happens from there.”
—Josh Berry, NASCAR Driver
Setting The Stage for a Dramatic Bristol Night Race
The upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol is shaping up to be highly competitive as drivers like AJ Allmendinger strive to prove they can compete against well-established playoff contenders. The short track’s demanding layout and unpredictable nature provide an ideal setting for potentially game-changing performances.
Allmendinger’s breakthrough in qualifying disrupts expectations and raises questions about whether he can translate that speed into consistent race success, finally overcoming the “oval curse” that has haunted him for more than a decade. Similarly, other drivers like Josh Berry continue their battle to advance deeper into the playoffs despite various difficulties.
As the Bass Pro Shops Night Race unfolds, motorsport fans nationwide will be watching closely to see if AJ Allmendinger can maintain his momentum and challenge the usual frontrunners, or if seasoned contenders will reassert their dominance on this storied short track.
