Buescher Earns Fourth Career Menards Pole Award, Second at Salem
For Immediate Release:
Saturday, April 28, 2012
(SALEM, Ind.) - Chris Buescher drove to the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell in just his second trip to Salem Speedway three seasons ago, and repeated that feat today in preparation for tomorrow's Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200.
Buescher, driving the familiar No. 17 Ford of Roulo Brothers Racing, completed his qualifying lap in 17.06 seconds (117.116 mph) to edge Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott for the top spot. The 200-lap, 111-mile race will start at 2:15 p.m., with live timing and scoring coverage and live audio coverage available at ARCARacing.com.
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Emily Headley, an Ansell territory manager from Cincinnati, presented the award to Buescher in Salem Speedway's infield.
The pole award was Buescher's fourth in 37 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards events since 2009, and his first since July 2010 at Mansfield Motorsports Park. Buescher's pole speed ended up the fastest for ARCA at Salem since Justin Lofton earned the pole at 117.981 mph in April 2009.
After a cool morning and threats of sprinkling rain, the sun appeared over Salem Speedway for the afternoon qualifying session, causing slick conditions. Even for Buescher, who has six previous starts at the high-banked, 0.555-mile oval, the weather conditions gave Salem a new face.
"It's definitely slick and definitely getting a little rougher," he said. "There's more character, I guess you could say. It's still a fun track here. We're working on it and trying to go a little better on these longer runs. I think this new tire's falling off a little more, so we're working on that a little bit. Overall, it's still running pretty good."
Buescher said the car he has this weekend is one he's driven a lot in the past, and he figures the race setup to be as dialed in as for his Salem victory last fall.
"(Crew chief and team co-owner) Gary (Roulo) has worked hard all through practice and we think we're in a good position," he said.
Clint King, last fall's Salem pole winner, and Tom Hessert completed the top five. Chad Hackenbracht, May 2011 winner Brennan Poole, Mikey Kile, Mason Mingus, and 15-year-old Erik Jones rounded out the top 10.
Nine-time Salem Speedway winner Frank Kimmel will start 11th.
After leading the first practice but having to recover from driveline issues, Will Kimmel qualified 14th at his home track.
The full starting lineup is available at ARCARacing.com.
WUME 95.3 FM of Paoli, Ind. will produce and air the online audio broadcast for ARCARacing.com, and also air the race in southern Indiana. The race is scheduled as the third of 20 this season.
2012 is the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards' 60th Anniversary Season, featuring 20 races at 18 tracks. The complete 2012 event schedule is available at ARCARacing.com.
The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course in its most recent season. This year, the series visited Alabama's Mobile International Speedway for the first time. In June, the first event at Minnesota's Elko Speedway will give ARCA a race in a 29th state.
Founded by John and Mildred Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in three professional touring series and local weekly events.
CONTACT:
Griffin Hickman, ARCA
Don Radebaugh, ARCA
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