For the second time in the last three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events, Chase Purdy is set to lead the field to green, this time ahead of Saturday’s Love’s RV Stop 250 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Purdy, driving the No. 4 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silverado, led both the first and final round of single-vehicle qualifying on Saturday, en route to scoring his second-ever pole in the NASCAR Truck Series.
With a lap of 53.368 seconds (179.433mph), the Meridian, Mississippi native held a massive margin over de facto teammate Nick Sanchez in the second round of qualifying, winning the pole with a gap approaching three-tenths of a second.
Sanchez, who picked up the pole in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway, will start alongside Purdy when the green flag drops, after posting a lap strong enough for the runner-up position.
Jake Garcia, making his first NASCAR Truck Series start on a superspeedway, earned a third-place starting spot via qualifying on Saturday, despite posting a time more than six-tenths of a second off of the eventual polesitter.
Dean Thomspon earned a career-high fourth-place starting spot for Saturday’s 250-mile contest from Talladega, Alabama, while NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoff driver Ty Majeski rounded out the top five in his No. 98 Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing.
Jack Wood qualified just outside the top-five in sixth, while playoff-eligible drivers Carson Hocevar, Ben Rhodes, and Corey Heim occupied positions seven, eight, and nine behind the driver of the No. 51 Chevrolet for Kyle Busch Motorsports. In just his fifth career NASCAR Truck Series start, Jake Drew earned a 10th-place starting spot in a second entry for Hattori Racing Enterprises.
Of the remaining eight drivers in the NASCAR Truck Series post-season, only three qualified outside of the top-10 for Saturday’s unpredictable race at Talladega, those being Christian Eckes (16th), Zane Smith (18th), and Grant Enfinger (25th).
Spencer Boyd (#12 Young’s Motorsports), Jennifer Jo Cobb (#10 Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing), Keith McGee (#33 Reaume Brothers Racing), and Clay Greenfield (#95 GK Racing) all failed to qualify for the final superspeedway event of the year.
Qualifying Results – Love’s RV Stop 250 at Talladega
Qualifying Results: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Love’s RV Stop 250 at Talladega
