ARCA RE/MAX starting grid, Hemphill Claims Pole, Lowe's

By Amanda Brahler
CONCORD NC (5-26-04) --- Braun Racing's Ryan Hemphill claimed his second career ARCA RE/MAX Series Pork Pole Award, his first at the Lowe's Motor Speedway, in preparation for Thursday night's Quaker Steak & Lube 100.
The 22-year-old Apollo, Pennsylvania driver turned his lap in the #64 TRIMSPA Dodge in 29.334 seconds, a top speed at 180.517 mph. 
"This is for the guys," said Hemphill. "They work so hard on that TRIMSPA Dodge. I think we'll be able to stay up front and hopefully pull into victory lane tomorrow night." 
Hemphill, who also won the pole at Nashville Superspeedway earlier this year, is the most recent superspeedway winner on the tour with his victory at Kentucky Speedway in early May.

Second year driver Brent Sherman will line up on the outside of row one alongside Hemphill in the #44 Serta Mattress-Hickory Farms Ford. 
"We have a good car," said Sherman. "The guys work so hard. I think we have a car capable of breaking through for that first win."  
Nextel Cup powerhouse Chip Ganassi Racing debuted their development driver Reed Sorenson in the #77 Sherwin Williams Dodge, the same car that Casey Mears drove to victory in the ARCA RE/MAX Series last season.

 

18-year-old Sorenson claimed the 2003 American Speed Association Rookie of The Year honors and will now make his first of three attempts in the ARCA RE/MAX Series.

 

"This is the first of three ARCA races and a few Busch races," said Sorenson. "I hope to win all three of these."

 

Kelly Bires, also making his debut, grabbed the fourth highest time in a FitzBradshaw Chevrolet.

 

Five-time series champ Frank Kimmel rounds out the top five qualifiers.

 

David Ragan, Mario Gosselin, Justin Hobgood, Ryan Thigpen and AJ Henriksen complete the top 10. 

 

The Quaker Steak & Lube 100 will be aired LIVE from the Lowe's Motor Speedway on SPEED Channel at 9:00 PM EST.



      2004 ARCA RE/MAX SERIES EVENT #6   
      Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord NC, 5-27-04   
      Official Starting Grid, Quaker Steak & Lube 100   
          
      STR NO DRIVER/HOMETOWN TEAM & CAR TIME SPEED 
      1 64 Ryan Hemphill/Apollo PA TrimSpa Dodge 29.914 180.517 
      2 44 Brent Sherman/N. Barrington IL Serta Mattress-Hickory Farms Ford 30.037 179.778 
      3 77 Reed Sorenson/Peachtree City GA Sherwin Williams Dodge 30.038 179.772 
      4 14 Kelly Bires/Mauston WI Atlantic Pin Striping-mvloghomes.com Chevrolet 30.158 179.057 
      5 46 Frank Kimmel/Jeffersonville IN Advance Auto Parts-Pork Ford 30.218 178.701 
      6 88 David Ragan/Kannapolis NC Shrimp From Florida Dodge 30.232 178.619 
      7 8 Mario Gosselin/St. Marie Quebec Sign Media Systems Chevrolet 30.302 178.206 
      8 50 Justin Hobgood/Columbia SC Germain Motor Company Dodge 30.398 177.643 
      9 62 Ryan Thigpen/Concord NC Big Water Campground Resort Chevrolet 30.748 175.621 
      10 17 AJ Henriksen/Mooresville NC McAdams Painting-CLR Ford 30.756 175.575 
      11 38 Damon Lusk/Kennewick WA Quaker Steak & Lube Ford 30.887 174.831 
      12 35 Wayne Anderson/Wildwood FL Flagship RV Chevrolet 30.920 174.644 
      13 29 Brian Keselowski/Rochester Hills MI Bob Ducharme Racing Dodge 30.930 174.588 
      14 78 Doug Reid/Hueytown AL Substation Service-Alabama Brick Chevrolet 30.956 174.441 
      15 3 Jeremy Clements/Spartanburg SC Broadway Motor Company Chevrolet 30.971 174.357 
      16 67 Jason Jarrett/Hickory NC Bennigan's-Gladiator GarageWorks Chevrolet 30.993 174.233 
      17 91 Christi Passmore/Pryor OK GAP Roofing-Royal Trading Ford 31.088 173.700 
      18 59 Mark Gibson/Winder GA Williams Bros Lumber Chevrolet 31.138 173.422 
      19 5 Blake Feese/Saybrook IL Ditech.com Chevrolet 31.148 173.366 
      20 08 TJ Bell/Sparks NV Brad Kemp Motorsports Chevrolet 31.248 172.811 
      21 6 Brad Keselowski/Rochester Hills MI Peterson-Whitney Chevrolet 31.322 172.403 
      22 06 Mart Nesbitt/Oxford NC NC Blue Cross Blue Shield-Coca Cola Ford 31.429 171.816 
      23 25 Billy Venturini/Chicago IL Lumber Liquidators Chevrolet 31.548 171.168 
      24 39 Michael Simko/Clarkston MI Mound Steel-Diamond Racing Chevrolet 31.594 170.919 
      25 1 Brandon Knupp/Sidney OH Southern Pan Services Ford 31.663 170.546 
      26 13 Johnny Leonard/Cape Coral FL Affordable Roofing Chevrolet 31.742 170.122 
      27 23 Joe Cooksey/Centralia IL 1-800-Servpro Chevrolet 31.838 169.609 
      28 93 Ian Henderson/Piedmont SC Henderson Engineering Chevrolet 31.842 169.587 
      29 95 Roger Williams/Charlotte NC Roger Williams Racing Chevrolet 31.853 169.529 
      30 21 Todd Bowsher/Springfield OH GFS Marketplace Ford 31.866 169.460 
      31 2 Mike Guerity/Rochester Hills MI Hantz Group Dodge 31.982 168.845 
      32 56 Richard King/Conyers GA Southeastern Clearing Systems Chevrolet 32.035 168.566 
      33 19 Keith Murt/Paducah KY Murtco-Total Performance Race Parts Chevrolet 32.091 168.271 
      34 49 Dan Shaver/Charlotte NC Petro Express Pontiac 32.160 167.910 
      35 11 AJ Fike/Galesburg IL Watts Construction-Ray Farms Pontiac Provisional 
      36 28 Mike Buckley/Ann Arbor MI ETSSolutions.com Chevrolet Provisional 
      37 34 Darrell Basham/Henryville IN TSI Paving-Racing Against Blindness Chevrolet Provisional 
      38 7 Jason Vieau/Charlotte NC Vieau Motorsports Pontiac Provisional 
      39 26 Brad Smith/Belleville MI BradSmithMotorsports.com Ford Provisional 
      40 84 Norm Benning/Pittsburgh PA Benning Motorsports Chevrolet Provisional 
      41 0 Tim Mitchell/Fayetteville TN Nealco-Reid's Auto Color Chevrolet Provisional