Kentucky Speedway qualifying summary

LOGANO TAKES FIRST KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY POLE AWARD

Eighteen-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing Driver Turns Quick 175.338-mph Lap at Kentucky Speedway

SPARTA, Ky. -- Joe Gibbs Racing driver Joey Logano made a great first impression at Kentucky Speedway this afternoon by winning the pole award for tonight's NASCAR Nationwide Series "Meijer 300 Presented by Oreo."

The 18-year-old took the top spot on the 43-car grid with a quick 175.338-mph (30.759 seconds) lap. The Middletown, Conn., driver earns a Nationwide Series pole for the second straight week. He led 64 laps last week at Nashville Superspeedway before finishing 31st. He made his series debut with a sixth-place finish at Dover International Speedway May 31.

"The GameStop Toyota was really good. Surprisingly, it was a lot better than it was in practice. Dave Rogers and whole team did a great job getting this thing closer to where I want it. I don't know what to think about the race yet. They've changed so much that we're not really too sure. We were a little snug there, so we'll probably be a little snug in the race. At Nashville, we went from really loose to really tight," Logano said.

The pole win is the second for Toyota at Kentucky Speedway. Bill Lester earned the first pole award for the manufacturer for the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the facility.

Jason Keller will share the front row after turning a 174.853-mph (30.883 seconds) lap in the No. 11 Chevrolet. He was awarded the spot based on owner points after his quick qualifying lap matched that of Marcos Ambrose in the No. 59 Ford. Ambrose will share the second row with David Stremme, who earned the fourth starting spot with a 174.746-mph (30.902 seconds) lap.

Race Honorary Starter and Univ. of Louisville Head Basketball Coach Rick Pitino will send the "Meijer 300 Presented by Oreo" field racing at 8:45 p.m.

-credit: ks