AVONDALE, Ariz. — Report by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR photo —
16-year-old J.J. Haley may have had a down season (by his standards) on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2015, but that didn’t stop him from going west and making some shock waves on Thursday at Phoenix International Raceway.
Haley, the 18th of 36 cars to take time during Coors Light Pole Qualifying, toured the one-mile oval in 27.065 seconds (133.013 mph) to move to the top of the scoring pylon and stay there the rest of the way. In doing so, the Winimac, Ind. young gun garnered his first career NASCAR K&N Pro Series West (NKNPSW) 21 Means 21 Pole Award in his second career attempt on the West Coast.
“It’s about time we pulled off a run in qualifying,” Haley laughed. “Hopefully we can convert this into a big run, maybe a win, during the race. We’ve got a really fast car and I’m excited about our chances tonight.”
Haley will have a dose of experience starting alongside him when the Casino Arizona 100 (7 p.m. ET, MRN) goes green Thursday evening, as NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular Landon Cassill shares the front row with the talented teenager. Cassill went out immediately prior to Haley and posted a best lap of 27.115 seconds (132.768 mph) to secure the runner-up starting spot for the 100-mile event.
Starting third will be one of Haley’s HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks teammates, recently crowned K&N East champion William Byron (27.179/132.455), who will make his Truck Series debut for Kyle Busch Motorsports on Friday night in Phoenix. Byron scored four East wins in 2015 en route to a sweep of the championship and Rookie of the Year honors in that division.
A third HSMJM entry in Dalton Sargeant (27.185/132.426) and the newest HSMJM pilot for 2016, young Harrison Burton (27.230/131.868), rounded out the top five. Burton became the youngest starter in K&N Pro Series history when he made his West debut last month at All-American Speedway in Roseville, Calif.
Two more East drivers in Spencer Davis and Ronnie Bassett Jr. qualified sixth and seventh, while David Mayhew was the best of the West regulars with his eighth place effort in time trials. Bill McAnally Racing teammates Todd Gilliland and Brandon McReynolds rounded out the top 10.
The K&N West championship contenders will have a long road to hoe on Thursday night, with Bob Bruncati Racing’s Ryan Partridge (12th) the highest of the mathematically-eligible contenders on the grid. Partridge enters the event fourth in the standings, 12 markers behind points leader Chris Eggleston.
Eggleston clocked in 15th in qualifying, while Jefferson Pitts Racing teenagers and teammates Noah Gragson and Gracin Raz find themselves buried in 20th and 25th, respectively. Gragson (-4) comes to Phoenix second in points, with Raz (-9) right behind him in third.
Reigning series champion Greg Pursley, who retired after winning the 2014 championship in this event, strapped back into a fourth JPR entry in an effort to make his 100th career K&N West start at Phoenix, where he has won three times. He outqualified both Gragson and Raz, and will start 18th.
Six drivers failed to make the 30-car starting field: Christian McGhee, Christian Celaya, Johnny Borneman, Bill Kann, Colton Nelson and Bobby Hillis.
The Casino Arizona 100 takes the green flag shortly after 7 p.m. ET/5 p.m. MT, with live radio coverage on the Motor Racing Network.
RESULTS: NASCAR K&N Pro Series West; Coors Light Pole Qualifying; Phoenix International Raceway; Nov. 12, 2015
- J.J. Haley
- Landon Cassill
- William Byron
- Dalton Sargeant
- Harrison Burton
- Spencer Davis
- Ronnie Bassett Jr.
- David Mayhew
- Todd Gilliland
- Brandon McReynolds
- James Bickford
- Ryan Partridge
- Ben Kennedy
- Kaz Grala
- Chris Eggleston
- Alex Schutte
- Brett Thompson
- Greg Pursley
- Travis Miller
- Noah Gragson
- Blake Williams
- D.J. Kennington
- Todd Souza
- Clay Green
- Gracin Raz
- Austin Reed
- Johnny White (OP)
- Nicole Behar (OP)
- Matt Levin (OP)
- Ron Norman (OP)
DNQ: Christian McGhee, Christian Celaya, Johnny Borneman, Bill Kann, Colton Nelson, Bobby Hillis
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network. Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 21-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for both the United Sprint Car Series and the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: speed77radio@gmail.com
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
Email Race Chaser Online: news@racechaseronline.com
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