By ,
Published January 08, 2015
Fontana, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Elliott Sadler won the pole for Saturday's 300-mile Nationwide Series race at Auto Club Speedway, while his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Kyle Busch, will have to start from the rear of the field after his car failed technical inspection.
Sadler turned a lap at 176.991 mph during the third and final round in qualifying to claim his 12th career Nationwide pole but his first since October 2012 at Charlotte.
Busch, who has won six of the last eight Nationwide races at this 2-mile Southern California racetrack, including a victory one year ago, did not make it out for qualifying. His car did not pass inspection several times due to an issue with the length of the wheel studs and then a problem with too much skew in the car. He will start 39th in the 40-car field.
Matt Kenseth qualified second at 176.948 mph, giving JGR a front row sweep for this race.
A JGR driver has won the last nine Nationwide races in Fontana. Five of the race winners started from the pole.
Rookie Ty Dillon will start third, followed by Joey Logano, who is making his first Nationwide start this season, driving the No. 22 car for Team Penske. Chase Elliott, also a Nationwide rookie this year, will roll off fifth and Kevin Harvick sixth.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/sadler-takes-pole-for-nationwide-race-in-fontana