Front row start for Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger will start Sunday's Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on the front row, next to pole winner Jimmie Johnson. It will be the best Cup start of Allmendinger's career.
Allmendinger's car is 36th in the Cup owners standings and the top 35 cars earn automatic qualifying spots for races. There were 44 cars that attempted to qualify for the Pepsi 500, meaning one car outside the top 35 was going home.
"I'm going to talk to Jimmie," said Allmendinger, driver of the No. 84 Toyota for Red Bull Racing. "I think he said he's going to let me lead the first lap for the five points -- I need them -- he doesn't."
Johnson, who was sitting in the media room in the garage area of the track, looked a little surprised by Allmendinger's statement.
Drivers get five bonus points for leading a lap and five more points for leading the most laps. Allmendinger is 14 points behind the No. 77 car driven by Sam Hornish Jr. in 35th place.
"We have a lot of work to do still," Allmendinger said. "Our focus is to have a good solid day like we've been trying for the last two months and get back in the top 35. We had a taste of it but the last two weeks of it have been disappointing and hopefully this is a good kick start to Sunday."