Title contender Buescher wins pole at Talladega
By NASCAR.COM
October 21, 2011 9:14 PM, EDT
October 21, 2011 9:14 PM, EDT
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James Buescher won the Keystone Light Pole Award for the Coca-Cola 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on Friday with a lap of 53. 8960 seconds (177.676 mph).
Buescher scored his second pole and 16th top-10 start in 2011. Buescher is in third place in the Camping World Truck Series standings, seven points behind leader Austin Dillon and two points behind second-place Johnny Sauter, despite competing in one less race this season; he did not qualify in the second race of the year at Phoenix.
Nelson Piquet Jr. will start alongside Buescher on the front row after posting a lap of 54.149 seconds (176.845 mph). Dillon (third) and Ricky Carmichael (fourth) will start on Row 2 with the two Kevin Harvick Inc. trucks on Row 3 (Ron Hornaday fifth in the No. 2 Chevrolet and Mike Wallace sixth in the No. 33).
Kyle Busch, who has won the past two Truck races at Talladega, will start 17th. Busch started 18th last year, the furthest of any 'Dega winner.
Sauter, who was hit in the left eye by a piece of debris soon after he took his No. 13 Chevrolet onto the track for Truck Series practice earlier Friday, qualified in the 20th position.
* Race Lineup | Practice Speeds
Notes-n-Nuggest
| • James Buescher scored his second career pole in his 69th career race. |
| • James Buescher is the fourth multi-pole winner in 2011: Austin Dillon (5) and Kyle Busch, Johnny Sauter and Buescher (2 each). |
| • James Buescher is the ninth different pole winners in the past nine races. |
| • James Buescher is the sixth different driver to win a pole in the six races at Talladega. |
| • James Buescher was fourth-fastest in practice with a time of 50.407 seconds (189.974 mph). |
| • Turner Motorsports scored its fourth career pole, all in 2011. |
| • Chevrolet scored its 19th pole of 2011, most of all manufacturers. |
| • Two of the five races have won from the pole at Talladega: Mark Martin (2006) and Todd Bodine (2007). |
| • The top seven starters are Chevrolets. |
| • The average starting position of Talladega winners is 7.0. |
| • Nelson Piquet Jr. (Second) tied his career-best start of second (at Bristol in August); it's his first race at Talladega. |
| • Austin Dillon (third) will start third for the second consecutive race at Talladega; he has 11 top-three starts in 2011, and three in a row. |
| • Ricky Carmichael (forth) scored his fourth top-five start of 2011, and second consecutive top-10 start at Talladega. |
| • Ron Hornaday (fifth) posted his 12th top-five start of 2011 and fourth in a row; it's his second consecutive top-five start at Talladega. |
| • Johanna Long (eighth) has qualified eighth or better in both plate races in 2011 (fifth at Daytona). |
| • Four drivers failed to qualify: Jennifer Jo Cobb, Norm Benning, Mike Harmon and Clay Greenfield. |
-- Powered by Racing Recall
Related:
Sauter hit in the eye with debris at Talladega
Truck Preview: Talladega is linchpin in Sauter's title hopes
By the Numbers: Lots of lead changes, close calls at Talladega
Camping World Truck Series
Standings
| Pos. | +/- | Driver | Points | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | -- | Austin Dillon | 731 | Leader |
| 2. | +1 | Johnny Sauter | 726 | -5 |
| 3. | -1 | James Buescher | 724 | -7 |
| 4. | +1 | Ron Hornaday | 710 | -21 |
| 5. | -1 | Timothy Peters | 706 | -25 |
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