NEWTON, Iowa — Report by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — Daniel Shirey/NASCAR via Getty Images photo —
The attempt at a perfect week for Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Erik Jones continues.
After winning the Battle at Berlin 251 in a late model on Tuesday and leading NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice Friday afternoon, Jones posted the fastest time in all three knockout rounds to garner the 21 Means 21 Pole Award during Keystone Light Pole Qualifying at Iowa Speedway.
Jones’ final-round lap of 23.129 seconds (136.193 mph) was enough to top the dozen drivers who advanced through to the third round of qualifying, and the only lap above 136-mph in the final session.
“Hopefully we can keep this truck up where we’re starting,” said Jones after earning his fifth career NCWTS pole and third of the 2015 season. “I think we’ve got a good enough Tundra to do it. It didn’t drive great in that last qualifying run, but it was good enough to get the pole, so that’s good.”
“It’s just hot and slick right now,” Jones added of the seven-eighths-mile Iowa track. “We’ll wait for it to cool off a little bit and hopefully it’ll come to us and this thing will stay good over the long run. Just proud of these guys for sticking with it. It’s been a long month, but we’re still charging — we’re not slowing down.”
Jones also set the fastest lap of qualifying with a circuit of 22.836 seconds (137.940 mph) in round one, but the clip was not enough to break German Quiroga’s track record lap of 22.724 seconds (138.620 mph), set in July of 2013.
John Hunter Nemechek will start alongside Jones in the front row, garnering his first-ever NCWTS front row appearance and his best career starting position in the series with a lap of 23.172 seconds (135.940 mph). The 18-year-old will look to convert his second-place starting position into his first-career series win in tonight’s American Ethanol 200 (8:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM).
Current runner-up in points Tyler Reddick set the third-fastest lap in the final round (23.303/135.176), with fellow young guns Brandon Jones (23.347/134.921) and Cameron Hayley (23.366/134.811) rounding out the fast five.
The average age of the top five starters for tonight’s Truck race is 18.4.
Caleb Holman laid down impressive runs in all three knockout rounds, sitting as high as fifth in the first round and ultimately slotting in sixth (23.396/134.638) on the grid in the final round. The effort is a career-best in NCWTS qualifying for the Food Country USA/Lopez Wealth Management-sponsored driver.
Gateway winner Cole Custer, Ben Kennedy, series points leader Matt Crafton and open-wheel midget and sprint car standout Christopher Bell rounded out the top ten on the grid, with Justin Boston and John Wes Townley also advancing to the final round of qualifying.
Bell, making his Truck series debut tonight for Kyle Busch Motorsports, was second-fastest in the opening round of qualifying behind teammate Jones.
Daniel Hemric was the first driver to miss the cut for the final round, and will start 13th.
Other notables outside the final round included Jake Griffin, who qualified a solid 15th in his first-career Iowa Speedway start, Timothy Peters (16th), Austin Theriault (18th) and Johnny Sauter (20th).
The American Ethanol 200 takes the green flag at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, 7:30 p.m. local time, with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.
RESULTS: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series; Keystone Light Pole Qualifying; Iowa Speedway; June 19, 2015
- Erik Jones
- John Hunter Nemechek
- Tyler Reddick
- Brandon Jones
- Cameron Hayley
- Caleb Holman
- Cole Custer
- Ben Kennedy
- Matt Crafton
- Christopher Bell
- Justin Boston
- John Wes Townley
- Daniel Hemric
- Spencer Gallagher
- Jake Griffin
- Timothy Peters
- Mason Mingus
- Austin Theriault
- Tyler Young
- Johnny Sauter
- Travis Kvapil
- Timmy Hill
- Ray Black Jr.
- Justin Jennings
- Korbin Forrister
- Jordan Anderson
- Jennifer Jo Cobb
- Ryan Ellis
- Norm Benning
- Tommy Regan
- Michael Affarano
- Caleb Roark
