Defending race winner claims fifth pole of career
RELATED: Full starting lineup
Based on practice and qualifying, Erik Jones enters tonight’s American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway with the dominant truck.
The 19-year-old Jones, driver of the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 4 Toyota Tundra, won the 21 Means 21 Pole for tonight’s race (8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1) by turning a lap in 23.129 seconds (136.193 mph) in the third and final round.
Jones, who won the fifth NCWTS pole of his career, was the only driver to eclipse 23 seconds in the first and second round. He had the fastest lap of the day in the first round at 22.836 seconds (137.940 mph).
John H. Nemechek will start second (135.940 mph), marking the best start of his career, followed by Tyler Reddick (135.176), Brandon Jones (134.921) and Cameron Hayley (134.811).
Jones also had the fastest circuit around the tri-oval in practice at 136.051 mph. KBM teammate Christopher Bell, making his debut race in the series, was second at practice (135.682).
Bell qualified 10th.
NCWTS points leader Matt Crafton qualified ninth.
Crafton (329 points) has three wins and six top-five finishes in eight starts this season; he’s won the series the past two seasons.
Jones won last year’s race at Iowa and Crafton won it in 2011.