Truex Stays Hot
Joins father & brother as pole winners at Loudon
 


Ryan Truex won the Coors Light Pole Award for Thursday's NASCAR Camping World Series East race at New Hampshire. Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR

  

By Jason Cunningham, NASCAR
LOUDON, N.H. – NASCAR Camping World Series East rookie Ryan Truex continued his hot streak Thursday afternoon when he won the Coors Light Pole Award in advance of Friday’s Heluva Good! Summer 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Truex (No. 00 NAPA Toyota) earned his first career pole two races ago at South Boston (Va.) Speedway and reached Victory Lane for the first time in the series’ last event at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. On Thursday he kept the momentum going when he posted the fastest lap in qualifying at 30.433 seconds (125.113 mph).

Truex also joined his father and brother in winning NASCAR Camping World Series East pole awards at New Hampshire. Martin Sr. won the pole for the Sept. 1994 event, while current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Jr. won the pole three times (twice in 2000 and in 2003). Both Martin Sr. and Jr. also won NASCAR Camping World Series East races at NHMS.

Ryan Truex, who was the next-to-last car to go out, knocked Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 NEMO/Grimm Construction Chevrolet) off the provisional pole. MacDonald won both of the New Hampshire races in 2008 and posted a fast lap of 30.601 seconds (124.467 mph) during qualifying.

Kevin Swindell was third fastest in qualifying at 30.616 seconds (124.406 mph). Brett Moffitt (30.690/124.106) and Matt DiBenedetto (30.693/124.093) rounded out the top five qualifiers.

Among the top five qualifiers, only MacDonald had previously turned laps at the 1.058-mile track.

Steve Park, Matt Kobyluck, Alan Tardiff, Jody Lavender and Jeff Anton completed the top 10 from Thursday’s qualifying.

The Heluva Good! Summer 125 is slated to go green on Friday, June 26, at 5:10 p.m.

NCWS East New Hampshire 6/27/09 Qualifying
POS CAR DRIVER TEAM TIME SPEED
1 00 Ryan Truex, Mayetta, N.J. * NAPA Toyota 30.443 125.113
2 71 Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass. NEMO/Grimm Construction Chevrolet 30.601 124.467
3 9 Kevin Swindell, Germantown, Tenn. Curb Records Chevrolet 30.616 124.406
4 44 Brett Moffitt, Grimes, Iowa * Castle Packs Power/EJP Chevrolet 30.69 124.106
5 18 Matt DiBenedetto, Grass Valley, Calif. Joe Gibbs Driven Toyota 30.693 124.093
6 35 Steve Park, East Northport, N.Y. Waste Management Recycle America Chevrolet 30.734 123.928
7 40 Matt Kobyluck, Uncasville, Conn. Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino Chevrolet 30.768 123.791
8 38 Alan Tardiff, Lyman, Maine * Bestway Disposal Chevrolet 30.811 123.618
9 88 Jody Lavender, Hartsville, S.C. JoJo Ent./Custom Race Chassis Chevrolet 30.853 123.45
10 30 Jeff Anton, Russell, Mass. East Coast Resurfacing Chevrolet 30.904 123.246
11 39 Dustin Delaney, Mayfield, N.Y. Delaney Infra./CarDaddy.com Chevrolet 30.964 123.007
12 29 Ryan Gifford, Winchester, Tenn. Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet 30.966 122.999
13 03 Patrick Long, Oak Park, Calif. AASCO Motorsports Chevrolet 31.005 122.845
14 55 Brad Leighton, Center Harbor, N.H. Irving Racing Chevrolet 31.013 122.813
15 12 Jesus Hernandez, Fresno, Calif. Chivas/Telmex/Z-Line Designs Dodge 31.053 122.655
16 52 Dakoda Armstrong, New Castle, Ind. * Motor City Auto Trans./Fatheadz.com Chevrolet 31.211 122.034
17 60 D.J. Shaw, Conway, N.H. Precision JLM Ford 31.294 121.71
18 74 Jarit Johnson, El Cajon, Calif. * Karl Chevrolet Chevrolet 31.349 121.497
19 37 Alex Kennedy, Aztec, N.M. * Media Master Chevrolet 31.424 121.207
20 16 Jonathan Smith, Beacon Falls, Conn. Fadden Racing Chevrolet 31.455 121.087
21 61 Mike Olsen, North Haverhill, N.H. KDD Auto Parts Chevrolet 31.462 121.06
22 17 Jason Patison, Corona, Calif. Lucas Oil/E3 Spark Plugs Chevrolet 31.508 120.884
23 7 Ryan Duff, Hazard, KY. Pine Branch Coal/Laughlin Perf. Chevrolet 31.545 120.742
24 96 Mike Johnson, Salisbury, Mass. Johnson Lumber/Martin Intl. Encl. Ford 31.667 120.277
25 63 John Salemi, Nashua, N.H. Paverart/Kustom Vinyl Chevrolet 31.74 120
26 46 Chase Mattioli, Long Pond, PA. Liquid Fence/APS Dodge 31.75 119.962
27 94 Tiffany Daniels, Smithfield, Va. Wide Open Energy Drink Dodge 32.57 116.942
28 26 Scott Bouley, Middlebury, Conn. Cutting Edge Signs & Shirts Chevrolet No Time  
29 5 Eric Chase, Burlington, Vt. Motion Racing Rent-a-Ride Chevrolet No Time  

* Denotes Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender