Fellows sets course mark, captures pole for truck race

Fellows sets course mark, captures pole for truck race WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (AP) Road racing specialist Ron Fellows, a Canadian who makes just a few appearances a season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, broke his own record to win the pole position today's Parts track, America 150 race. Fellows' Friday lap, a 117.476 mph effort in a Chevrolet, was nearly a half-second quicker than the 116.732 speed posted by Joe Ruttman's Ford. The front row for the $335,905 race represents a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series elite. Fellows won last year's Parts America 150, his only victory on the tour, while Ruttman captured 1997's other two roadcourse events, at Heartland Park Topeka in Kansas and Sears Point International Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Boris Said, a series regular who has raced internationally at LeMans and in the 24-hours of Daytona, qualified third in a Ford at 116.605. Ron Hornaday, the series' only three-time road racing winner and 1996 Parts America 150 champion, was fourth in a Chevrolet at 115.848. Defending series champion Jack Sprague, who also leads the current standings, completed Friday's top five in a Chevrolet 115.786. Rookie Greg Biffle, making his first truck start on a road course, Ron Barfield, Rob Rizzo, Kevin! Harvick and Randy Tolsma filled out the top 10 in the 34-truck field. Fellows didn't shave much off his year-old record of 117.367, but it was enough to break the 11-turn circuit course mark for the second consecutive year. The Toronto-area driver counts three wins in seven starts at Watkins Glen International. "Actually, it kind of surprised us," he said of his record lap. "We'd been struggling since we got here yesterday. We changed three major things and darned if they didn't work!" Seven drivers among an entry of, 41 teams failed to make today's race, including Lonnie Rush, who flipped his Chevrolet twice in an afternoon practice accident. Rush stepped into a backup truck, provided by Jeff., Spraker, but, at 102.772 mph, was too slow to qualify for the race.

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Fellows sets course mark, captures pole for truck race

Fellows sets course mark, captures pole for truck race

The Pantagraph