Craig Goess Rides Momentum, Speed

to First Career Pole at Michigan

ARCA Field is Set For Friday's Race

Series PR Report

Mikey Kile laid down a quick lap during Menards Pole Qualifying Presented by Ansell at Michigan International Speedway, and then dared the field to chase it. Craig Goess did, and his No. 81 Greenville Toyota of N.C. Toyota will start from the first position in Friday's Racing for Wildlife 200.

Goess turned the 2-mile Michigan oval in 38.49 seconds (187.062 mph), the fourth-best pole time in 28 ARCA Racing Series Presented by RE/MAX and Menards qualifying sessions at the track since 1980.

"We knew we had a pretty fast car when we tested here (in May). We were toward the top of the board all day," said Goess.

Goess mentioned that the high of winning his first career race at Pocono last week played a role in winning his first career pole in the Irish Hills.

"Momentum doesn't hurt. Everybody's in good spirits, and everybody's got that little bit of confidence," he said. "I also think that open test (on May 25) helped a lot."

The pole was the second consecutive at Michigan for Eddie Sharp Racing, which won the first spot with driver Scott Speed in 2008. Last year's qualifying session was cancelled.

Kile finished second on the strength of his 38.592-second (186.567 mph) lap in the No. 25 Sears Auto Center/DieHard Toyota.

"It's another front row starting spot," said Kile, who has started from the first or second spot on four of seven previous occasions this season. "We got a little loose in Turn 4 and had to work with it a little bit. We made a mock run in practice, and it was just a little free. But in qualifying, it was definitely a lot better. We're really happy with it, other than it being free off of Turn 4."

Kile continued, stating his initial confidence that the run would stand at the top.

"I told the guys, 'If anybody can beat that, they can have it,'" he said. "Craig Goess went out there and beat it though!"

Goess had also finished atop the chart in practice earlier in the day, topping Patrick Sheltra (No. 60 Recycling Services/Ferguson Pipe Toyota), who qualified third, and Kile.

"We would have liked to have been on the pole, but we'll take third and look at the bigger picture tomorrow: winning the race," said Sheltra, who has four previous starts at the track. "That was the fastest lap we have turned at Michigan this year, so we really can't complain.

Goess was particularly pleased with the location of his first pole, citing the prestige of historic Michigan International Speedway.

"I think the first pole is special, but especially here," he said. "It's a great facility, and definitely first-class. Coming right from our good run at Pocono last week, that's another companion event. It's another chance to have your name out there, so I probably couldn't pick it any better than that."

Clay Rogers made the No. 42 Beard Oil/Conoco Philips Lubricants Chevrolet the fourth car to break the 39-second mark, and Nelson Piquet filled out the top five with a lap of 39.041 seconds. Dakoda Armstrong, Steve Arpin, and Joey Coulter followed, and two-time MIS winner Frank Kimmel qualified ninth. Bryan Silas completed the top ten.

The Racing for Wildlife 200 begins at 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, with live television coverage provided by SPEED and live radio coverage provided by the BAS Racing Network and streamed online at ARCARacing.com.

The ARCA Racing Series Presented by RE/MAX and Menards features 20 events at 17 tracks on its 2010 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 racetracks in 28 states since its inception. The series tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as left- and right-turn street and road courses.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

Official Starting Grid

2010 ARCA Racing Series by RE/MAX and Menards Event #8

Michigan Int'l Speedway, Brooklyn MI, 6-11-10

Racing For Wildlife 200

POSNODRIVER/HOMETOWNTEAM & CARTIMESPEED

181Craig Goess/Greenville NCToyota38.490187.062

225Mikey Kile/Westlake LAToyota38.592186.567

360Patrick Sheltra/Indiantown FLToyota38.691186.090

442Clay Rogers/Troutman NCChevrolet38.977184.724

56Nelson Piquet/Brasilia BrazilToyota39.041184.422

622Dakoda Armstrong/New Castle INDodge39.093184.176

755Steve Arpin/Fort Frances ONChevrolet39.180183.767

816Joey Coulter/Miami Springs FLChevrolet39.322183.104

944Frank Kimmel/Clarksville INFord39.409182.699

1011Bryan Silas/Stuart FLFord39.448182.519

1199Josh Richards/Shinnston WVFord39.534182.122

1232Justin Marks/Rocklin CAToyota39.591181.860

1377Tom Hessert/Cherry Hill NJDodge39.626181.699

1431Tim George Jr./New York NYChevrolet39.649181.593

151Chad McCumbee/Supply NCFord39.683181.438

165Bobby Gerhart/Lebanon PAChevrolet39.728181.232

1709Grant Enfinger/Fairhope ALFord39.807180.873

1829Chad Finley/Lansing MIChevrolet39.968180.144

1936Robb Brent/Shelby Township MIDodge40.051179.771

203Brent Brevak/Ashland WIDodge40.133179.403

2182Sean Corr/Goshen NYFord40.227178.984

2227Michael Simko/Clarkston MIChevrolet40.617177.266

2358Chad Hackenbracht/New Philadelphia OHChevrolet40.903176.026

2476Jerick Johnson/Faribault MNChevrolet41.046175.413

2570Tony Palumbo/Frankfort ILFord41.048175.404

2617Chase Mattioli/Long Pond PAFord41.079175.272

2715Alli Owens/Daytona Beach FLChevrolet41.548173.294

2814Nick Igdalsky/Long Pond PAFord41.603173.064

297Kent Schenkel/Huntington INDodge42.028171.314

3023Frank Wilson/Belmont WVChevrolet42.059171.188

3130Terry Jones/Amherstburg ONDodge42.345170.032

3259Mark Gibson/Winder GADodge42.930167.715

3334Darrell Basham/Henryville INChevroletProvisional

3426Brad Smith/Shelby Township MIFordProvisional

3528Rob Jones/Bowie MDChevroletProvisional

3648James Hylton/Inman SCFordProvisional

3706Dennis Strickland/Carleton MIFordProvisional

3810Rick Clifton/Circleville OHChevroletProvisional

3968Larry Meadors/Louisville KYChevroletProvisional

4094Jason Basham/Henryville INChevroletProvisional

4196Mike Buckley/Ann Arbor MIFordProvisional