ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 16, 1997 TAG: 9703170123
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: HOMESTEAD, FLA.
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
The 52-year-old driver posted an average speed of 140.221 mph around the 1 1/2-mile Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex.
Joe Ruttman, who hadn't won a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pole position since 1995, raced his Ford to the No. 1 starting position Saturday for the Florida Dodge Dealers 400.
The top 30 qualifiers for today's race broke the track record at the Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex.
The 52-year-old Ruttman extended his record as the series' oldest pole winner with an average speed of 140.221 mph around the 11/2-mile superspeedway. His late qualifying lap, in a field of 52 drivers, pushed rookie Boris Said and his Ernie Irvan-owned Ford off the provisional pole.
Said, who immediately flew north to drive in the 12-hour endurance sports car race at Sebring, retained the outside front row spot with a speed of 139.501 mph. He never had qualified among the top 15 in six previous events.
Ruttman's Jack Roush Racing teammate, former NASCAR Busch Series champion Chuck Bown, qualified third at 138.916. Michael Dokken, the pole winner for the series' most recent event at Tucson, Ariz., will start fourth in a Dodge after a lap of 138.241.
Rookie Kenny Irwin Jr., the 1996 U.S. Auto Club national midget champion, took the fifth starting position. His Ford was clocked at 138.080 mph. Mike Bliss, Rick Carelli, defending Florida Dodge Dealers 400 winner Dave Rezendes, John Nemechek and Rich Bickle landed the remaining top 10 starting positions.
Defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. qualified his Chevrolet 19th. Daytona 500 pole winner Mike Skinner will start 18th. Ken Schrader took the 29th starting position but will turn his Chevrolet over to Lonnie Rush because of a NASCAR Winston Cup Series testing commitment at the new Texas Motor Speedway.
Geoff Bodine's year-old qualifying record of 135.598 fell to Skinner, the second driver on the track. Butch Miller, Bickle, Dokken, Bown and Said each lowered the mark further, before Ruttman, the 50th qualifier, took the pole for good.
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB