KANSAS CITY, KansasOn a Fourth of July weekend in America's heartland, a U.S. Army-sponsored car is on the pole for Saturday's O'Reilly Auto Parts 250, a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway.
Bill Lester of Oakland, Calif., was the fastest driver in qualifying with a track-record lap of 173.633 mph. Thirty-one of the 46 drivers eclipsed the series mark at "The Track That Will Blow You Away!"
Lester's pole was the second of his Craftsman Truck Series career. The second-place qualifying effort of Mike Skinner gave Bill Davis Racing a front-row sweep. Both drivers drive Toyota Tundras.
Lester said it meant a lot for him to represent the U.S. Army, especially this weekend.
"It's an honor for me to represent them," he said, adding optimism that his first series victory can come in today's race. "I like this track. This is where I got my first career top-10 finish (in 2003). I think we'll have a historic run tomorrow."
An African-American driver has won only one race in NASCAR history: Wendell Scott on Dec. 1, 1963, in Jacksonville, Fla.
Skinner said his teammate has grown into a driver capable of winning races in NASCAR.
"He's really matured as a driver," said Skinner, the inaugural Truck Series champion who raced seven seasons in NASCAR's NEXTEL Cup Series.
Rookie Todd Kluever qualified third, with David Reutimann fourth.
In qualifying for the 134-lap Kansas Lottery $200 Grand ARCA/REMAX Series race, also on Saturday at Kansas Speedway, rookie Joey Miller of Farmington, Minn., won the pole position, the first of his career, with a lap of 163.750 mph.
Miller's first ARCA pole came when he edged Frank Kimmel and Kyle Krisiloff in qualifying. They are among the top contenders for today's victory.
Interestingly, Miller expected Kimmel, the veteran, to be the top qualifier; Kimmel was paying close attention to Krisiloff, the nephew of Indy Racing League founder Tony George.
"I thought we had a pretty good car for the top three, but I didn't really expect the pole," said Miller, who is second in the standings and driver of the Country Joe Racing/Eagle Creek Aviation Dodge.
Kimmel, who qualified second, drives the Advance Auto Parks-Pork Ford. He has won one race and two poles at Kansas Speedway, never starting or finishing lower than third.
Kimmel joked that his track experience wasn't on display Friday in the first turn when he nearly crashed.
"I went through (the previous lap) kind of loose and I said, 'I can do better than that,'" Kimmel said. "I almost lost it."
Christie Passmore qualified her GAP Roofing-Asphalt & Fuel Supply Ford fourth, making her the highest-starting female driver in the series since Erin Crocker won the pole at Nashville Superspeedway this spring.
Saturday's action also includes qualifying for the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series ARGENT MORTGAGE INDY 300 at 12:45 p.m. The 167-lap O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 is set for 2:15 p.m., followed by the Kansas Lottery $200 Grand at approximately 4:45 p.m.
