MARTINSVILLE, VA – Roanoke driver Kyle Dudley was the fastest qualifier at Martinsville Speedway on Tuesday afternoon.
Dudley, a multi-time champion at Franklin County Speedway in nearby Callaway, Virginia, set a blistering pace in qualifying with a 20.080 second lap. He will lead the field to the green flag in the first of four heat races later this afternoon.
“I can’t believe it man, still surreal,” Dudley said. “Crazy, crazy moment here. Never thought I’d see the day I’d get a pole at this place here. Coming from where I come from, guys don’t do this very often so I’m tickled shitless right now.”
The first time Kyle Dudley made the field for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 was in 2014. He would end up finishing ninth in that race, and would better that result five years later with an eighth place finish. For Dudley, his dream in the past had just been to make the field. Now, he’s hoping to win.
“We’ve got a good car here,” Dudley said. “These guys have worked their asses off. Hopefully we can show it in the race. I think we’ve got a good piece and hopefully we can bring home a clock.”
With the pole, Dudley is also $5,000 richer.
Buddy Isles was second fastest and will lead the second heat race to the green flag. Third fastest was Kade Brown, while Stacy Puryear was fourth fastest.
Marquis comes from St. Charles, Maryland and has a widespread background in journalism, having covered politics in Washington and Maryland as well as nearly every form of auto racing, including NASCAR, IndyCar, AMA Motocross and IHRA Drag Racing. Now living near Emerald Isle, North Carolina, Marquis covers Late Model Stock Cars and Super Late Models in the Carolinas and Virginia.
