SALEM IN – ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie Michael McDowell, in Eddie Sharp’s Z Line-Make A Wish-Beck Dodge, is clearly on a mission. After posting the quickest speed in practice earlier in the day, the Phoenix, Arizona driver backed that up by earning the pole position Saturday afternoon at Salem Speedway for Sunday’s Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 presented by Federated Auto Parts. McDowell qualified with an average speed of 112.285 mph. It was his career-first ARCA RE/MAX Series pole award.

 

“This is my first career pole in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, and it’s great to be able to do it here at Salem,” said McDowell. “This is my second race I’ve ever done here. Last year I think I qualified 22nd. To come back here a year later with Eddie Sharp Racing and get the pole is very rewarding. Patrick Donahue (crew chief) did a great job setting up the car. The car is absolutely awesome. I think this is going to be the start of some really big things.”

 

Dexter Bean, the pole winner at Salem in the fall of 2006, qualified second in the Five Star Telecom Chevrolet with an average speed of 111. 801 mph.

 

“We have a very good car,” said Bean. It’s the same car we won the pole with here last fall; it’s just got a little different front stub on it. It’s bent a little from Lakeland and we didn’t get a chance to straighten it out, so we weren’t sure what the car would do. But we’re very excited to be outside pole. We’re currently sixth in points, so hopefully we’ll have a good weekend and keep moving up in points.”

 

Springfield, Illinois driver Justin Allgaier qualified third in the Hoosier Midwest-Auto Xpress-USAF Chevrolet.

 

“Felt like we had a pretty good car in practice,” said Allgaier. “Not real sure what the car’s going to act like in the race to be honest. Larry (Moore/crew chief) and the crew have done a real good job trying to figure everything out. We have 200 laps at this place so we’ll just try and stay out of trouble; that’s the biggest key here. This place is a lot of fun to race. We’re looking forward to a good one here.”

 

Allgaier, as a result of earning 5 points in qualifying, is now tied in national championship points with hometown favorite Frank Kimmel headed into Sunday’s race.

 

Nashville winner Chad McCumbee, in the Nortrax-Holland Pump Chevrolet, qualified fourth followed by Kimmel in fifth.

 

Brewco Motorsports driver Phillip McGilton was sixth followed by Billy Venturini, Brett Hudson, Justin Marks and Brian Keselowski to complete the top-10 respectively.

 

Sunday’s Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 presented by Federated Auto Parts is scheduled to get underway shortly after 2:00 pm Eastern time.

 

NASCAR Cup veteran Ken Schrader is flying in from Saturday night’s Cup race in Phoenix and will tag the tail-end for the start of Sunday’s race at Salem. Mario Gosselin, subbing for Schrader, qualified Schrader’s Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet in the 13th position. SCR

 

  Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 Starting Grid

 

 

Jeff Gordon ran a speed of 133.136 mph to better the speed of Jamie McMurray 132.577 mph to win the pole for Saturday’s Subway Fresh Fit 500. McMurray will roll off second followed by Denny Hamlin in third. Scott Riggs and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top five.

 

The top qualifying Toyota was that of Dave Blaney, he will start 11^th. Ward Burton who is driving a car dedicated to Virginia Tech will roll off 35^th. Michael Waltrip failed to qualify for his seventh straight race, so far this season only making the season opening Daytona 500. SCR

Matthew Blaylock

 

Subway Fresh Fit 500 Starting Grid