SALEM, Ind. – Sixteen-year-old Carson Hocevar sped to the General Tire Pole for Sunday’s ARCA Menards Series Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 at Salem Speedway.
Hocevar turned a fast lap of 17.073 seconds/117.027 mph around the high-banked .555-mile oval Saturday afternoon.
Hocevar, from Portage, Mich., was recently signed to the Driver’s Edge Development program, spearheaded by Lorin Ranier for GMS Racing and JR Motorsports. He also earned the General Tire Pole Award last season at his home track, Berlin Raceway, in Marne, Mich.
“It’s great to finally get to qualify and get a pole,” he said. “Last year we got the pole at Berlin but that race was rained out and we set the fast lap in practice so we got the pole. It’s awesome to get the pole in qualifying. My KBR Development guys gave me a great car. There’s a big difference in two laps and 200.”
Hocevar nipped current ARCA Menards Series championship leader and defending race winner Christian Eckes for the pole. Eckes timed in at 17.169 seconds/116.373 mph.
Ty Gibbs, who was fastest in practice, qualified third. Pensacola winner Michael Self qualified fourth ahead of and Joe Graf Jr. in fifth.
There was only one incident in qualifying. Morgen Baird spun off of turn two and made slight contact with the inside wall on the backstretch. He will start 15th.