Fast 177.340-mph Lap is 0.029 of a Second Shy of Series Track Record

Erin Crocker (High Sierra Photo)

Erin Crocker bettered a field of 55 ARCA RE/MAX Series drivers to earn her second career Kentucky Speedway pole award with a 177.390-mph (30.450 seconds) lap today.

The 25-year-old Evernham Motorsports development driver's top lap fell just 0.169-mph shy of the series track record set by Steve Wallace at 177.509-mph (30.421 seconds) during the series first visit here this season on May 13.

Crocker also started on the inside front row of the series 150-mile race here on July 8, 2005 after generating a 173.723-mph (31.084 seconds) lap. The Wilbraham, Mass., driver is the first woman to win two Kentucky Speedway pole awards. Her start tonight will mark the fourth time a female has started a Kentucky race on the inside front row. Other female pole award winners at the speedway were Indy Racing League IndyCar Series competitors Danica Patrick (August 2005) and Sarah Fisher (August 2002).

"I feel the pressure to win. I finished second last week and was second here last year," Crocker said. "I'm just out here to win and have fun. If I'm the first female to win an ARCA race and it makes people surprised and they want to read because of it, I think it's kind of a bonus."

She is aiming for her third consecutive top-five series finish through five starts tonight in the "WLWT-TV Channel 5 150."

"We love this track, we test her all the time with Evernham and feel like it's a good fit for us," she said. "The car is good. I'm going to by best and hope it's enough to get me into Victory Circle."

Matt Hagans (No. 9 Eagle Creek Aviation-1st Wing Aircraft Management Dodge) qualified second with a 176.898-mph (30.526 seconds) lap, practice session leader Brad Coleman (No. 62 Federated Auto Parts-Brewco Motorsports Ford) will start tonight's race third after turning his best qualifying effort at 176.626-mph (30.573 seconds) and Dawayne Bryan, who was fifth in the series practice session earlier today, rounds out the second row after turning his best qualifying lap at 176.384 mph (30.615 seconds).

Tickets for tonight's ARCA RE/MAX Series "WLWT-TV Channel 5 150" race are still available and on sale at Kentucky Speedway ticket booths. Race time is 9:00 p.m.