Houston comes up big in Texas qualifying

Andy Houston became the third different driver of the season to win a Bud Pole in the No. 2 Dodge as he turned in a lap speed of 181.747 mph to top Friday's qualifying for the Silverado 350 at Texas Motor Speedway.

	This NCTS pole is Andy Houston's first since 2000. Credit: Nate Mecha/HSP

Houston, making his fourth start for Jim Smith's Ultra Motorsports, last sat on the pole in May 2000 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. The pole is the fourth on the series for the Hickory, N.C. second generation competitor.

Houston's success also added to the credentials of crew chief Dennis Connor, who has quarterbacked a record three different Bud Pole winners in 2003. His previous pole winners were Jason Leffler and Jimmy Spencer, the latter driver going to victory circle as well at New Hampshire International Speedway.

David Starr, driving the No. 75 Spears Motorsports Chevrolet, turned in a late qualifying speed of 180.463 to take the outside front row starting spot for Saturday's 146-lap race. Starr now has qualified in the No. 2 spot three of his last four starts at TMS and four overall.

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The Texan's run knocked Raybestos Rookie leader Carl Edwards off the front row - which he'd occupied since early in the qualifying session. Edwards, driving the No. 99 Ford, qualified at 180.383. Houston's Ultra Motorsports teammate, Tracy Hines, grabbed the fourth spot at 180.084. Jon Wood, partner to Edwards, qualified fifth at 180.048.

Edwards and Wood finished two-three behind winner Brendan Gaughan in June's series stop at the 1.5-mile superspeedway. Gaughan, nursing a 20-point championship lead over Travis Kvapil, qualified seventh. Gaughan, however, must give up the spot at the start of Saturday's race because of a pre-qualifying engine change.

Kvapil qualified 11th, one position behind Ted Musgrave, who stands third in the title chase. Dennis Setzer, within 74 points of Gaughan after last week's victory at Big Daddy's South Boston Speedway, starts 13th.

Thirty-six of 38 trucks in the garage qualified for the season's 22nd event. Shane Wallace was too slow at 167.931 and Loni Richardson failed to record a speed after an accident on his first qualifying lap.