Casey Smith Sets Fast Time for Sunday's Rattler 250 Southern Super Series Opener
Texan Will be Flanked by Michigan's Chad Finley on the Front Row at South Alabama
Texan Casey Smith set fast time for the Southern Super Series presented by Sunoco Hardee's Rattler 250 at South Alabama Speedway with a lap of 15.170-seconds around the 4/10-mile oval Saturday.
Smith will start from the pole in Sunday's Hardee's Rattler 250, the first race of the 2014 Southern Super Series season.
"I figured if we got a top-five I was going to be really happy," said Smith after his qualifying run. "Because we put on one set of tires in practice, and it was the first set of (Hoosier F-45 tires) we've ever put on and I was a little bit free. But I was afraid to tighten it up too much and mess up the car for the race so I snugged it up a little bit. It still turned good and it had awesome drive off.
"I'm just really excited for the race," said Smith. "I just can't thank everybody at Port City Racecars enough for the help and all they've done to get me back to the top."
Smith, who wasn't sure what he had in his No. 99 machine before his qualifying run, was surprised by the result. It was Smith's first-career Southern Super Series pole, which is presented by Hamner Racing Engines, McGunegill Engine Performance, Progressive Racing Engines, RW Engines and Ford Racing Engines.
"My dad yelled at me over the radio that I was on the pole," explained Smith. "But I still didn't know what I ran. I knew it was pretty good, but I didn't think it was that good because I felt like I left a little bit out there. I didn't expect it to have all the drive off that it did, but I'm excited."
Michigan's Chad Finley will start on the outside of the front row in Sunday's Rattler 250, while Bubba Pollard will start third. Korey Ruble qualified fourth in a car that will be piloted Sunday by Anderson Bowen, who was competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway (TN). Bowen will start at the rear of the field Sunday. Georgia's Hunter Robbins rounded out the top-five qualifiers.
The Southern Super Series Hardee's Rattler 250 will take the green flag at 2:00 pm CT Sunday.
For more information on the Southern Super Series, visit SouthernSuperSeries.com. The Facebook page for the Southern Super Series is located at www.facebook.com/southernsuperseries and on Twitter it's @SoSuperSeries. For advertising or sponsorship questions, please contact the track representatives. For media inquiries, please contact Matt Kentfield at 51 Sports via matt@51sports.net.
March 15, 2014
SOUTHERN SUPER SERIES
38th Annual Hardee's Rattler 250
South Alabama Speedway
Kinston, AL
Qualifying Results/Starting Lineup
Pos.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
No.
99
42
26
29
18
77
31
98
112
91
8
41
79
29
2
30
14
12
10
33
47
83
x2
1
7
43
5
71
Driver
Casey Smith
Chad Finley
Bubba Pollard
Anderson Bowen (Korey Ruble)
Hunter Robbins
Ross Kenseth
Kyle Grissom
Daniel Hemric
Augie Grill
Zak Hausler
John Hunter Nemechek
TJ Reaid
Kyle Bryant
Stephen Nasse
Donnie Wilson
Bobby Knox, Jr.
Chris Davidson
Harrison Burton
Johanna Long
Steven Davis
Allen Karnes
Scotty Ellis
Dennis Reno, Jr.
Keith Cahela
Casey Roderick
Justin South
Will Gallaher
Kyle Benjamin
Time
15.170
15.174
15.193
15.215
15.219
15.236
15.266
15.345
15.349
15.351
15.424
15.457
15.497
15.500
15.524
15.53
15.582
15.642
15.805
15.833
15.855
15.874
15.889
15.902
15.957
16.047
16.269
No Time
