New England 100 Pole Goes To Newman
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver Captures NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Pole
Loudon, NH — With the season Bobby Santos is having, it’s taken a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver to steal some of his thunder.
Ryan Newman earned the Coors Light Pole Award Thursday for Saturday’s New Hampshire 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with a lap of 29.663 mph (128.402) around the 1.058-mile oval. It’s Newman’s sixth pole at New Hampshire, with four coming in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition and the other in his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut in September 2008.
Santos will start on the outside of the front row after he posted a qualifying lap of 29.778 (127.907). Santos enters the weekend as the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour points leader after he became the first driver in Tour history to win three of the first four races. He finished second in the other race, and has three Coors Light Pole Awards.
Newman’s best finish in a NASCAR Modified is eighth, last September at New Hampshire. The South Bend, Ind., native who made his mark early in his career in open-wheel racing, will make his fifth NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start — all for 2010 Daytona 500 winning crew chief Kevin Manion. Manion has fielded a Modified at New Hampshire and Bristol in recent seasons.
Todd Szegedy qualified third at 29.867 (127.525). Erick Rudolph and Rob Summers rounded out the top five.
Doug Coby was sixth, followed by Ron Silk, Ted Christopher, Rob Fuller and Jimmy Blewett.
Saturday’s New England 100 is scheduled to start at 1:10 p.m., prior to the NASCAR Nationwide Series race.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR
Qualifying Results
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour – New England 100 Lineup
Race Saturday; Qualifying Thursday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Loudon, N.H.
Lap Length: 1.058 miles
1. (7) Ryan Newman, South Bend, Ind., Chevrolet, 128.402
2. (4) Bobby Santos, Franklin, Mass., Dodge, 127.907
3. (2) Todd Szegedy, Ridgefield, Conn., Ford, 127.525
4. (98) Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, N.Y., Chevrolet, 127.402
5. (1) Rob Summers, Vernon, Conn., Chevrolet, 126.973
6. (0) Doug Coby, Milford, Conn., Chevrolet, 126.825
7. (6) Ron Silk, Norwalk, Conn., Chevrolet, 126.736
8. (36) Ted Christopher, Plainville, Conn., Chevrolet, 126.408
9. (71) Rob Fuller, Boylston, Mass., Ford, 126.194
10. (14) Jimmy Blewett, Howell, N.J., Ford, 126.190
11. (79) James Civali, Meriden, Conn., Pontiac, 126.178
12. (3) Ryan Preece, Berlin, Conn., Chevrolet, 125.902
13. (16) Mike Stefanik, Coventry, R.I., Pontiac, 125.890
14. (91) Richard Savary, Canton, Mass., Chevrolet, 125.852
15. (51) Justin Bonsignore, Holtsville, N.Y., Chevrolet, 125.832
16. (59) Chuck Hossfeld, Ransomville, N.Y., Chevrolet, 125.794
17. (10) Ed Flemke, Jr., Southington, Conn., Chevrolet, 125.740
18. (93) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., Chevrolet, 125.724
19. (70) Andy Seuss, Hampstead, N.H., Chevrolet, 125.558
20. (17) Glen Reen, Wilbraham, Mass., Chevrolet, 125.479
21. (46) George Brunnhoelzl, III, W. Babylon, N.Y., Chevrolet, 125.343
22. (58) Eric Goodale, Riverhead, N.Y., Chevrolet, 125.174
23. (76) Eric Beers, Northampton, Pa., Chevrolet, 125.071
24. (99) Jamie Tomaino, Howell, N.J., Chevrolet, 124.817
25. (9) L.W. Miller, Dushore, Pa., Pontiac, 124.772
26. (8) Glenn Tyler, Hampton Bays, N.Y., Chevrolet, 124.552
27. (28) Woody Pitkat, Stafford, Conn., Chevrolet, 124.540
28. (18) Ken Heagy, Calverton, N.Y., Ford, 122.825
29. (39) Richie Pallai, Jr., Yorktown Heights, N.Y., Chevrolet, 122.766
30. (68) Johnny Bush, Huntington Station, N.Y., Chevrolet, 122.089
31. (26) Gary McDonald, Ronkonkoma, N.Y., Chevrolet, 120.509
32. (15) Danny Knoll, Jr., Buffalo, N.Y., Chevrolet, 120.448
33. (05) Joe Hartmann, Calverton, N.Y., Chevrolet, 120.159
35. (33) Wade Cole, Riverton, Conn., Chevrolet, No speed +
36. (90) Renee Dupuis, Glastonbury, Conn., Chevrolet, No speed +
34. (38) Jake Marosz, Middletown, Conn., Chevrolet, 120.091 +
* Sunoco Rookie of the Year Contender
+ Provisional Starter