Keselowski Scores First Career Bud Pole Award at Memphis

06-30-2007 | Charles Krall, Associate Editor

Keselowski Scores First Career Bud Pole Award at Memphis

Brad Keselowski takes his first career pole at Memphis. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

While the team's normal driver Ted Musgrave is sitting on the sidelines serving a NASCAR-mandated suspension, substitute driver Brad Keselowski made the best of the situation in qualifying to earn the pole for tonight's O'Reilly 200 at Memphis Motorsports Park. The 23-year-old Keselowski, a native of Rochester Hills, Mich., was strong in both practice sessions yesterday, and that momentum carried over to today for the No. 9 Team ASE Toyota. Keselowski's fastest lap of 22.543 seconds translated to 119.771 miles per hour around the three-quarter mile Memphis oval. He withheld a late-session charge by 1998 Memphis winner Ron Hornaday to earn his first career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Bud Pole Award.

"I can't thank Rick Gay and the guys enough," Keselowski said. "We've had a great truck all weekend. Now all we need to do is run a good clean race and see how it shakes out."

Hornaday will line up outside the front row after a lap of 22.743 seconds/118.718 miles per hour in Kevin Harvick's No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet. His run gives him his best Memphis start since he started third in the inaugural series race at the track in 1998.

"That was a great run for Brad," Hornaday said. "I'm disappointed we didn't get the pole, but I am really excited to get this truck out there and race."

Mike Skinner qualified third in the No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota with a lap of 22.799 seconds/118.426 miles per hour, with Tennessee native Willie Allen bettering his best career start by one position to earn the fourth starting position in the No. 13 ThorSport Racing/National Pork Board Chevrolet with a lap of 22.819 seconds/118.322 miles per hour. Bill Lester was fifth in qualifying in the No. 15 Christian Debt Consolidation Chevrolet with a lap of 22.878 seconds/118.017 miles per hour.

Brendan Gaughan qualified sixth, followed by Erik Darnell, Aaron Fike, Todd Bodine, and Travis Kvapil. Other notables include Dennis Setzer in 11th, Jack Sprague in 13th, Rick Crawford in 17th, and Ken Schrader in 29th.

The O'Reilly 200 at Memphis Motorsports Park is slated to go green shortly after 9 P.M. Eastern and will be televised live on SPEED. TruckSeries.com will continue to have complete event coverage of the event leading up to the start, during the race, and following the race's conclusion.