Raybestos Rookie of the year candidate Austin Dillon notched his second consecutive pole Saturday morning and will lead the field in today’s VFW 200 at Michigan International Speedway (MIS), the eighth race of the 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season.
Dillon, the son of former NASCAR driver Mike Dillon and grandson of seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship owner Richard Childress guided his No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet Silverado around the two-mile which is nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan to a fast lap of 40.796 seconds at 176.488 miles per hour. Dillon in his first full season of NCWTS competition notched his first career pole last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
Fellow Chevrolet bow-tie competitor Ron Hornaday in his final race with backing from Longhorn Moist Snuff qualified second, 0.133 seconds behind Dillon. New rules enforced by the Food and Drug Administration will prevent cigarette and smokeless tobacco sponsorships in sporting events as of June 22, forcing Longhorn to discontinue their relationship with Kevin Harvick Inc. The red, black and yellow colors have adorned Hornaday’s No. 33 truck for 19 races throughout the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Hornaday recorded four wins in the Longhorn colors in 2009. He also claimed his fourth championship title in the red, black and yellow paint scheme.
Turner Motorsports’ James Buescher continues to uplift the spirits of his newly formed NASCAR Camping World Truck Series operation as he pulled together the third fastest lap in the No. 31 Wolf Pack Rentals Chevrolet Silverado.
ThorSport Racing’s Matt Crafton was fifth, followed by Elliott Sadler carrying new colors this weekend in Grance Insurance in a second KHI truck closed out the top-first dozen.
Current point’s leader Todd Bodine, the most recent winner in the Camping World Truck Series last qualified seventh in his No. 30 Germain.com Toyota Tundra. Kyle Busch in his sponsorless Kyle Busch Motorsports entry delivered the eighth fastest effort with Stacy Compton posting his No. 60 SafeAuto Insurance Chevrolet in ninth and Aric Almirola, the Dover International Speedway winner comprised the top-10.
Ricky Carmichael in the No. 4 Monster Chevrolet for Turner Motorsports will roll 11th with Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway winner Timothy Peters turning the fastest lap of the two Red Horse Racing entries on property with a 12th place effort.
Nelson Piquet, the former Formula One driver will roll off 14th. Piquet competed in the ARCA Racing Series event on Friday and finished 12th in a Eddie Sharp Racing-fielded ride.
Hermie Sadler, the older brother of Elliott Sadler muscled his shoptna.com Chevrolet Silverado into the 15th position while Jason White in the SS Green Light Racing entry qualified 16th.
2009 ARCA Racing Series champion Justin Lofton, a former winner at Michigan International Speedway in that series will start today’s contest from the 18th position in the No. 7 visitPit.com Toyota Tundra.
Chris Fontaine, a native of Florida in his family owned team qualified an impressive 20th in the No. 84 Glenden Enterprises Chevrolet.
After posting the last position in the lone NCWTS practice session yesterday, Chad McCumbee, who also drove in yesterday’s ARCA race stepped it up this morning and put a third SS Green Light Racing entry into the field in 21st.
Independent racer Chris Jones maneuvered ahead of Brad Sweet in Stringer Motorsports’ No. 90 Great Clips Toyota Tundra, David Starr in the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota and Ryan Sieg in the No. 39 S&W Services Chevrolet to close out the top-25.
Jennifer Jo Cobb arriving in Michigan on the heels of her career-best finish of 14th last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway will start 27th. For Cobb, in the No. 10 DrivenMale.com Ford F-150, today is her 37th birthday and she is hoping to rope in three consecutive top-20 finishes in her quest to gain additional seat-time in the NCWTS.
Brent Raymer, who’s gasped the attention of the truck audience with some vicious accidents in his career, will look for a trouble-free day after clocking the 28th fastest run.
Row number 15 will be a row filled with “Mikes” after Mike Garvey out qualified Mike Harmon to complete the top-30 starters.
Rick Ware Racing teammates J.C. Stout, Brett Butler and Donnie Neuenberger will take the green flag from the 31st, 32nd and 33rd positions respectively – tying that organization with SS Green Light Racing with the most number of trucks in the field at three a piece.
Norm Benning, Michigan native Michael Guerity and ARCA driver Terry Jones made up the remainder of the 36-truck starting field.
The VFW 200 is set to roll off shortly after 2:00 p.m. today with live coverage on SPEED, MRN radio and its affiliates and Sirius Satellite Radio NASCAR channel 128.
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