KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Tanner Gray was the final car to take time in General Tire Pole Qualifying for Friday’s ARCA Kansas 150.
It turns out he saved the best for last as the reigning NHRA Pro Stock champion claimed the General Tire Pole Award for the ARCA Menards Series finale at Kansas Speedway.
Gray bumped championship contender Michael Self from the pole, costing him five bonus points in his battle for the ARCA title with Venturini Motorsports teammate Christian Eckes.
Gray turned a lap at 29.941 seconds at 180.355 mph. He was the only driver to exceed 180 mph in qualifying. Self’s lap was less than a tenth of a second slower, 30.014 seconds at 179.916 mph.
“The car was great and the track is in really good condition,” Gray said. “I tried to hold it wide open in practice and it didn’t work. I tried it in qualifying and it worked.”
Gray will start from the pole and would like to be well out in front of the field, with minimal impact on the battle for the championship. Self, who will start second, is fifteen points behind his Venturini Motorsports teammate Christian Eckes. Eckes qualified eleventh.
“We definitely don’t want to be involved in the championship battle at all,” Gray said. “We aren’t here racing for points. We’re here to win. I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with this type of racing over the course of the season. I think we’ll have a great shot at the win.”
Three-time winner Ty Majeski will start third, followed by Riley Herbst and Drew Dollar.
Bret Holmes, who is third in the championship standings, qualified sixth. Daytona winner Harrison Burton was seventh, defending series champion and defending race winner Sheldon Creed was eighth, Gus Dean was ninth, and Travis Braden rounded out the top-10.