With Temperatures reaching nearly 100 degrees Saturday afternoon, Eric Holmes from Escalon, Calif. was equally as hot collecting his third career Bud Pole Award and second consecutive fast time in NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series competition. Holmes toured the one-mile paved oval of Phoenix International Raceway in 27.656 seconds topping Bud Pole king Craig Raudman of Bakersfield, Calif. who qualified second with Raudman's teammate Burney of W. Sacramento, Calif. turning in the third fast lap. Two-time Phoenix winner and defending race champion Eddy McKean from Jerome, Idaho and David Gilliland rounded out the top five qualifiers.
"This new car really works," Holmes said. "Victory Circle Chassis' had a great day today taking the four top spots. With this new Freight-Train Peters engine, this is the best combination I have ever had. I have always run pretty good here, but I feel real good about tomorrow."
Holmes will lead the field of thirty starters to green in the JC Glass "100" which is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. PST Sunday. Sunday's race is event eleven in the fourteen-race championship series where Jim Pettit II of Prunedale, Calif. leads the point standings by 25 points over Raudman. Pettit qualified 24th. Brandon Riehl from Boring, Ore. who wrapped up seventh place in the final AutoZone Northwest Series and will make his first start at Phoenix.
NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division
Southwest Series
JC Glass "100" Phoenix Int'l Raceway, Phoenix, Arizona, October 2, 2004
Qualifying Results
Qualifying Position, Driver, Car, Hometown, Lap Time (sec)/ Speed (mph).
1. Eric Holmes, Chevrolet, Escalon, Calif., 27.656/130.1712. Craig Raudman, Chevrolet, Bakersfield, Calif., 27.756/129.702
3. Burney Lamar, Chevrolet, W. Sacramento, Calif., 27.806/129.468
4. Eddy McKean, Pontiac, Jerome, Idaho, 27.87/129.171
5. David Gilliland, Pontiac, Riverside, Calif., 27.909/128.991
6. Danny Burson, Chevrolet, Albuquerque, NM, 27.989/128.622
7. Nick Lynch, Chevrolet, Burley, Idaho, 27.994/128.599
8. Joey Miller, Chevrolet, Lakeville, Minn., 28.016/128.498
9. Rip Michels, Chevrolet, Mission Hills, Calif., 28.023/128.466
10. Auggie Vidovich Jr., Chevrolet, Lakeside, Calif., 28.033/128.42
11. Dan Holtz, Ford, Pacific Palisades, Calif., 28.057/128.31
12. Darrell LaMoure, Chevrolet, Phoenix, Ariz., 28.111/128.064
13. Stan Silva Jr., Chevrolet, Castroville, Calif., 28.136/127.95
14. Thomas Martin, Pontiac, Auburn, Calif., 28.281/127.294
15. Brandon Riehl, Chevrolet, Boring, Ore., 28.289/127.258
16. Kevin Clark, Chevrolet, Colorado Springs, Colo., 28.290/127.253
17. Joe Herold, Chevrolet, Poway, Calif., 28.315/127.141
18. Doug McCoun, Chevrolet, Prunedale, Calif., 28.362/126.93
19. Todd Souza, Chevrolet, Aromas, Calif., 28.381/126.845
20. Greg Voigt, Chevrolet, Santa Barbara, Calif., 28.401/126.756
21. Justin Martz, Chevrolet, Silverbow, Mont., 28.419/126.676
22. Stephen Sadler, Chevrolet, Brea, Calif., 28.501/126.311
23. Jeff Seifert, Chevrolet, Jamul, Calif., 28.536/126.156
24. Jim Pettit II, Ford, Prunedale, Calif., 28.552/126.086
25. Tommy Fry, Chevrolet, Simi Valley, Calif., 28.826/124.887
26. Randy Nelson, Ford, El Cajon, Calif., 28.858/124.749
27. Mike Price, Chevrolet, Harbor City, Calif., 28.878/124.662
28. Greg Fowler, Chevrolet, Longmont, Colo., 29.131/123.58
29. Nick Joanides, Chevrolet, Woodland Hills, Calif., 29.332/122.733
30. Richard Johnson, Chevrolet, Antioch, Calif., 30.473/118.137
