Bowyer Leads Assault On Martinsville Busch Series Record
On a day when 41 drivers broke the track record at Martinsville Speedway, Clint Bowyer was the fastest of the fast in qualifying for the Goody's 250 NASCAR Busch Series race.
Bowyer turned a lap of 19.735 seconds (95.951 mph) around the .526-mile oval to break an almost 20-year-old record set by Jimmy Hensley in October of 1987. Hensley's old mark was 20.411 seconds or 92.774 mph.
The Goody's 250 is the Busch Series first trip to Martinsville Speedway since 1994. The race takes the green flag at 3:35 p.m.
It was Bowyer's first pole of the season and fourth in his Busch Series career. Bowyer is currently third in NASCAR Busch Series point standings.
Jay Sauter nailed down the second starting spot with a speed of 95.299 mph. Aric Almirola, subbing for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver Denny Hamlin qualified third fastest.
Eight NEXTEL Cup drivers are attempting to run today's Busch race, but Hamlin and Kyle Busch did not make it to the track in time from Pocono Raceway to qualify their cars. Dennis Setzer qualified Busch's car eighth, but both Hamlin and Busch will have to move to the rear of the field because they did not qualify their cars.
Rounding out the top five in time trials were rookie Mark McFarland and Johnny Sauter.
NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip, making his first Busch start at Martinsville, qualified 41st.
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