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Buescher Cruises To ARCA Pole At Daytona

Daytona Beach, Fla. – James Buescher cruised to the pole position for Saturday’s Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at the Daytona International Speedway, the 47th ARCA Racing Series event to be run on the tri-oval.

Buescher, the 2009 ARCA race winner, attained a speed of 181.543 miles per hour in the Miccosukee Gaming & Resort Toyota owned by James Finch.

“The car was really fast and it was at the top of the board yesterday,” the teenager said. “I knew we had a good car, and thought we would be in the top three of qualifiers.”

Looking ahead to the race, he said, “Last year I did it from the back, so hopefully it will be easier to do from the front. I want to stay up front and lead as many laps as I can. If we can come up with the right pit strategy, I think we have a good enough car to go to victory lane.”

Mikey Kile put one of the five Venturini entries, the TAG Heuer Eyewear Toyota, on the outside of the front row with a speed of 181.258 mph.

Joey Coulter qualified third in a Chevrolet at 180.832 mph. “The wind affected me but I thought we would have a solid top-five run,” he said.
18-year old Joey Coulter earned the fourth starting spot with a speed of 180.788 mph.

Fifth and sixth fastest were Bryan Silas and Mark Thompson.

F1 transitional driver Nelson Piquet Jr. made his oval debut with a rapid run of 179.788 mph, good enough for the seventh starting spot, in a Toyota. “It has been a great experience,” he said. “I am lucky to be with this team.”

Five-time race winner Bobby Gerhart, John Wes Townley and Steve Arpin rounded out the top-10 qualifiers.

Danica Patrick had a smooth run in a Chevrolet to garner the 12th position with a speed of 179.788. “We made the car better in practice yesterday, as it wasn’t right,” she said. They told me what to do. It was pretty straight forward — you run around the top, drop down low and keep it on the line. And it is nice to get it over with.”

Five other women drivers made the starting field, including IndyCar’s Milka Duno, who earned one of 11 provisional starting spots. She will start 41st in a Toyota.

Fifty-one cars took a qualification time with 43 making the starting field.

SPEED will carry the race live Saturday at 4 p.m. Eastern.

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