Stenhouse Jr. claims pole for Chicagoland

Jul 22, 2012 - 6:02 PM Joliet, IL (Sports Network) - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will start on the pole for Sunday's STP 300 Nationwide Series race after topping the qualifying charts at Chicagoland Speedway.

Stenhouse, the defending Nationwide champion, posted a lap at 176.916 mph for his third pole of the season and the seventh of his career.

He is one of the four drivers eligible for the $100,000 "Dash 4 Cash" bonus in this race. Elliott Sadler, Austin Dillon and Sam Hornish Jr. are also eligible. The highest finisher among those four will collect the cash award.

Dillon earned the outside pole with a lap at 176.783 mph. Hornish Jr. qualified third, while Kyle Busch, who is the only Sprint Cup Series regular competing in this event, and Parker Kligerman rounded out the top-five.

Sadler, the current points leader, will start 15th, one spot ahead of Justin Allgaier, who is the defending race winner.

Brian Scott, Mike Bliss, Cole Whitt, Ryan Truex and Brendan Gaughan qualified sixth through 10th, respectively.

All 43 drivers who attempted qualifying made the start field for the 300-mile race, which is scheduled to start just after 3 p.m. (ET).