BRISTOL, Tenn. — AJ Allmendinger upstaged the NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway, capturing the pole for Saturday night’s first-round cutoff race on the 0.533-mile oval.

The Kaulig Racing driver qualified first for the first time in 10 years, turning a 15.117-second lap (126.930 mph) on Friday in his No. 16 Chevrolet. With his fifth career pole in a Cup race and first since August 2015 at Watkins Glen, the 43-year-old Allmendinger became the oldest driver to win a pole at Bristol since Mark Martin, who was 50 in 2009.

“To get a pole at Bristol, that's pretty awesome,” said Allmendinger, whose previous pole on an oval was at Kansas in April 2012. “Hopefully, we can do that for 500 laps. I know it’s Friday night qualifying and doesn’t pay any points or money, but i

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