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ARCA RE/MAX Series Rookie Logano Earns Rockingham Pole

ROCKINGHAM NC (5-3-08) – Joey Logano, in the No. 25 Venturini Motorsports prepared Joe Gibbs Racing Oil-Gresham & Associates Chevrolet, earned his career first ARCA RE/MAX Series SIM Factory Pole Award in his career first attempt at Rockingham Speedway on Saturday afternoon, circling the 1-mile oval in 24.549 seconds for a speed of 146.645 mph. He will start on the pole alongside Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in the RoushFenway.com Ford for Sunday’s Carolina 500.

Logano’s lap established a new one-lap track record for the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Rockingham. The old mark of 134.947 mph was set back in 1973 by Charlie Glotzbach.

“We actually came down here and did some fuel mileage testing at the Rock,” said Logano. “I haven’t done much racing this year but we did a lot of testing-probably ten times so far this year. I turn 18 on May 24th and then I can start running Nationwide races. This is Venturini’s car and we’ve had a good relationship with the Venturini family so it’s fun for me to get back out there and run a little bit. This is my first time driving for [the Venturini family]. Big Bill and Little Bill are great guys and it’s like a family atmosphere in the ARCA garage so I’ve enjoyed it.”

Stenhouse posted a 24.629-second lap, for a speed of 146.169 mph.

“I wasn’t thinking it would be a top-two qualifying run,” said Stenhouse. “To come out here and pick up a second [from practice] that was surprising but I’ll take it. If anything, I think it helped us a little bit that it was cooler on the track when I went up. My qualifying efforts so far in the stock cars haven’t been so good so this helps our confidence level a lot. It’s going to be tough to save the tires and get by the lapped cars during the race. I think that if you can get by all of the lapped traffic during the race and still save your tires it’s going to be a good race. All Lumpy has been preaching all week is to save the tires and that’s why we focused on tires so much during the practice session yesterday. We’re going to try and save a set for the end.”

Each front row starter earned an additional $2,000 compliments of pole day sponsor Savage Energy. The Savage Energy Pole Day Challenge offered $4,000 total for the front row.

Westmorland, California’s Justin Lofton will start third in the No. 20 Lofton Cattle Dodge, alongside Michael Annett in the No. 28 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota.

“I’m just really happy I was able to lay down a good, solid lap,” said Lofton. “The guys worked really hard after practice yesterday. They changed the tranny, springs, shocks and through everything but the toolbox at it. I appreciate all of their work and effort and I am looking forward to starting up front tomorrow afternoon.”

This weekend’s SIM Factory Qualifying on Savage Energy Pole Day at Rockingham Speedway marks the first time since the late 1990s that the series has scheduled a second round qualifying session. This weekend also marks the first time in which the starting field will be set at 50 cars.

The Carolina 500, event No. 5 of the 21 race ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule, is slated to roll off at 12 noon Eastern live on SPEED.

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