Gaughan takes second consecutive Bud Pole

LAS VEGAS -- Brendan Gaughan captured his second Bud Pole in as many weeks, driving his Orleans Hotel Dodge to a non-record speed of 162.152 mph to gain the top starting spot for tonight's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Gaughan, on the pole for the first time a week ago at California Speedway where he finished second, starts on the front row for the sixth consecutive time. The Las Vegas native is the series points leader, by 42 over Travis Kvapil, who qualified his IWX Motor Freight Chevrolet in the No. 6 position.

David Starr, last year's Las Vegas Bud Pole winner, settled for the outside front row this time. His Spears Motorsports Chevrolet clocked a lap of the 1.5-mile speedway at a speed of 161.919 - .048 second slower than Gaughan's pace.

Raybestos Rookie leader Carl Edwards put his Superchips Ford third in the lineup at 161.783, giving all three manufacturers a spot among the top three qualifiers.

Ted Musgrave, who won the California Speedway round with a 92nd lap pass of Gaughan, was fourth quickest in the Mopar Performance Dodge at 161.478. Musgrave, 62 points behind Gaughan in the standings, won the Las Vegas 350 in 2001.

Chad Chaffin qualified fifth in the Dickies Dodge at 160.066.

The second five starters are Kvapil, Rick Crawford, two-time Las Vegas winner Jack Sprague, Jon Wood and Bill Lester.

Two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie, driving Kevin Harvick's Chevrolet, was the quickest in pre-qualifying practice but settled for the 18th during Bud Pole qualifying.

Fifty-one teams attempted to qualify for the 36-truck field with 15 drivers failing to crack the lineup for the 146-lap race. The event would have been the series' first to start a trio of female drivers, however, Kelly Sutton and Tina Gordon weren't fast enough to join Shawna Robinson in the field.