Rookie Dillon Takes Pole For WinStar World Casino 400k

Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet, celebrates winning his first career NASCAR National Series pole

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Rookie Austin Dillon, grandson of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner Richard Childress, captured the pole position for the WinStar World Casino 400k with a lap of 178.654 miles per hour during Thursday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway.

The pole was the first of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career and it comes in his 10th career start and eighth on the season. Dillon, driving the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Remington/Tracker Boats Chevrolet, topped his previous-best career starting position of third, which came in the season opener at Daytona.

Matt Crafton (No. 88 Menards Chevrolet) qualified second with a lap of 178.477 mph to give Chevrolet a sweep of the front row. It marks the second front-row start of the season for Crafton – the other came at Kansas – and he has now qualified third or better in five of eight races this season.

Plano’s James Buescher, driving the No. 31 Wolf Pack Rentals Chevrolet for Turner Motorsports, qualified third with a lap of 177.948 mph. It marked the second consecutive race he has qualified among the top three after earning the outside pole last week at Charlotte.

Rounding out the top five were defending WinStar World Casino 400k champion Todd Bodine (No. 30 Germain.com Toyota) at 177.883 mph and Ricky Carmichael (No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet) 177.754 mph, respectively.

In addition to Buescher, the Lone Star State was represented in the field by Houston’s David Starr. Starr, driver of the No. 81 Zachry Toyota for Randy Moss Motorsports, qualified 12th with a lap of 176.788 mph.

The WinStar World Casino 400k, set for 167 laps and 250.5 miles, will start at 8 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on SPEED (TV) and The Fan 105.3 KRLD-FM (local radio). Tickets remain for the WinStar World Casino 400k and available by calling the TMS ticket office at (817) 215-8500 or by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.