Photo Credit: ARCA Racing Series
(SPARTA, Kentucky – September 25, 2015) – Venturini Motorsports grabbed the top two spots during Menards Pole Qualifying Friday at Kentucky Speedway, making up the front row for the Crosley Brands 150.
William Byron, 17, won the pole with NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Daniel Suarez starting second in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event. Byron, in the No. 55 Liberty University Toyota, is making his superspeedway debut. Suarez, who led 39 laps and finished fifth in the ARCA race at Kentucky Speedway last year, is in the No. 15 ARRIS Toyota.
Byron said he is having a “blast” racing on the superspeedway.
“I learned a lot today,” he said. “I got a little over aggressive in practice and spun, but I learned from it. I’m looking forward to the race … Going this fast is something new to me. I really enjoy every lap because it is so fast, so fun and I have a fast car. I’m looking forward to seeing what our Liberty University team can do in the race. “
Travis Braden, another driver making his superspeedway debut, will start third in the No. 01-West Virginia University-Matheson Gases-Platinum Express Chevrolet. Cunningham Motorsports driver Austin Cindric, in the No. 99 Auto Zone Ford, will start fourth and Will Kimmel, in the No. 69 Portland Recycling-Charlie Wilson Appliance Ford, will start fifth.
Ross Kenseth, winner of the ARCA race at Michigan in June, will start sixth in the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet with Josh Williams, runner-up in the driver point standings, starting seventh in the Musselman’s Applesauce Chevrolet.
Grant Enfinger will enter the Crosley Brands 150 with a 225-point lead in the driver point standings over Williams. He will start 12th.
Kyle Weatherman, in the No. 22 Crosley Brands Dodge, will start 10th as he battles for the SCOTT Rookie of the Year honors with David Levine in the No. 59 MOMO-TraqGear-Ford Performance Ford, and Sarah Cornett-Ching in the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation Chevrolet. Levine will start 18th and Cornett-Ching 13th.
Byron is the third different Venturini Motorsports driver to win a Menards Pole Award this season. A member of the NASCAR NEXT class of 2015, the North Carolina resident has notched six victories this season driving for HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Division. Byron’s K&N crew chief, Kevin Bellicourt, will be on top of the box at Kentucky with VMS.
In Friday’s practice, Venturini Motorsports had the fastest three cars on the track in Brandon Jones, Byron and Suarez. Jones spun during his qualifying lap in the No. 25 Ansell-Menards Toyota, and will start 30th. It was announced Friday afternoon that Jones, 18, will race full-time next season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Richard Childress Racing.
The 100-lap, 150-mile race is race No. 19 of the 2015 ARCA Racing Series season.
