Jack Sprague, right, explains how the truck worked to crew chief Chris Showalter. Credit: Nate Mecha/HSP
July 16, 2004
7:01 PM EDT (2301 GMT)
MADISON, Ill. -- Jack Sprague broke the four-year-old Gateway International Raceway qualifying record to win the pole position for Saturday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Ram Tough 200.
The pole was the third of the year for the three-time series champion. Sprague, who won this race in 2000, lapped the 1.25-mile track at 133.227 mph during Friday's time trials.
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| Sprague celebrates his third Bud Pole Award of the season. Credit: Nate Mecha/HSP |
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The old mark, set by Stacy Compton in 1999, was 133.093.
Sprague now has 23 NCTS career poles -- five more than any other series driver.
"I thought we might have had a chance for the pole before we got here because this team has tremendous efforts at Gateway," said Sprague. "We will just see how it all unfolds."
Sprague has one win in 2004. He took the checkers at Mansfield, Ohio in mid-May.
Bobby Hamilton, who moved into the runner-up position in series points with his win last week at Kentucky Speedway, qualified his Square D Dodge Ram second at 132.544.
Rick Crawford, who never has started outside the top 10 in seven Gateway appearances, qualified in the No. 3 position with a lap of 132.007. Steve Park, in the truck Brendan Gaughan won last year's Gateway race with, qualified fourth. Travis Kvapil was fifth.
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Chad Chaffin, Shane Hmiel, Bill Lester, Carl Edwards and Andy Houston rounded out the top 10.
Craftsman Truck Series points leader Dennis Setzer qualified his Chevrolet 11th. Setzer leads Hamilton by six points entering the season's 12th of 25 scheduled events.
Former Ram Tough 200 winners Ted Musgrave and Terry Cook will start 13th and 18th, respectively.
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