Triplett Shines In Taco Bell 300 Qualifying

MARTINSVILLE, VA. (September 27, 2002) – When the 2002 Late Model Stock Car season began back in March, David Triplett Jr. didn’t even know if he could afford to race every week. A limited budget hasn’t seemed to slow the Durham, NC, driver though.

The 22-year-old Triplett captured the pole for Sunday’s Taco Bell 300 at Martinsville Speedway during qualifying on Saturday, out-running 112 other drivers for the top starting position for the biggest Late Model Stock event of the season.

“To qualify on the pole here, for this race, is a big deal,” said Triplett. “This means a lot to myself and to my team. The best of the best in our sport are here for this race.”

Triplett toured the .526-mile oval in 21.550 seconds (87.87 mph) to capture his first Martinsville Speedway pole. It was his 12th pole of the season. He won 11 poles in his Pontiac during the regular season at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, NC, where he won six races.

“We have just run race-to-race this season,” said Triplett. “We really struggled at the beginning of the year, but it’s been better since mid-season.”

Kirk Leone of Raleigh, NC, nailed down the second starting spot, followed by Brandon Butler of Petersburg, VA, Jason York of Reidsville, NC, and Butch Hamlet of Bassett , VA. Leone, Butler, York and Hamlet all drive Chevrolets.

Leone was close on Triplett’s heels with a lap time of 21.565 seconds (87.81 mph) as he also earned his best starting position ever at Martinsville.

“We expected to do well, but we’re just so happy to do this well,” said Leone. “This is the Super Bowl of Late Model Stock racing. Everybody is here.”

Or it certainly seemed like it Saturday. It took over three hours to qualify the 113 cars.

Butler is the only driver in the top three with front-running experience at Martinsville. He led the most laps in last year’s Taco Bell 300 before winding up in second.

“We’ve got the same car here we had last year and its been running well,” said Butler.

Only the fastest 20 drivers were locked into the field through Saturday’s qualifying. The next 20 spots will be filled through four, 25-lap heat races Sunday, beginning at 12:30 p.m. The Taco Bell 300 feature race will take the green flag at about 3 p.m. Sunday.
Copyright © 2000 Martinsville Speedway®

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Triplett wins pole

By CHRISTIAN DOLLARHITE
Bulletin Sports Writer

David Triplett Jr., a 22-year-old racing phenom from Orange County, N.C., proved to be the fastest of a fast crowd at the Martinsville Speedway on Saturday afternoon, blazing a qualifying lap time of 21.550 to beat out more than 120 Late Model Stock race teams and claim the pole position for today's Taco Bell 300.

On a day when the sun overcame clouds just as drivers began climbing into their windows and firing their engines, Triplett Jr. put his Pontiac in the wind on Martinsville's half-mile oval. The question of whether the young gun -- who's already won six races at the Orange County Speedway this year -- can keep that momentum going in today's shootout awaits an answer, but the talented racer has shown he's got the tools.

"Thank the Lord, he was in the car with me today," a smiling Triplett said as after the 3 1/2 hours of qualifying were over and his number remained atop the board.

"This has just been an awesome day," he said. "The Taco Bell 300 is the Super Bowl of Late Model racing and there were a lot of great race car drivers here today. To qualify better than all of them is a huge accomplishment for me and my team."

In addition to a divine power, Triplett attributed his fast time to sunshine and a good set-up.

"We knew if we could stay out of the clouds, we'd have a good time today," he said. "Fortunately the sun came out for most of the afternoon. That may have made the track a little more slippery, but overall I think it helped us more than it hurt us."

Around 80 drivers that weren't able to crack Saturday's top 20 will have another chance today. Four 25-lap heat races will get under way at 12:30 p.m., with the top five finishers in each heat, plus two provisional slots, moving on to the main event.

"You just have to hold your breath for about 21 seconds and give it all you've got," said Kirk Leone of Raleigh, N.C., who qualified second and will start on the outside of the first row.

"I'm tickled, mostly because I don't have to run in those heat races," Leone, who started 28th in 2001 and finished 15th, said with a smile. "This is like our Daytona. The best of the best is here this weekend and I'm very pleased to be a part of it and be up near the front. Those heat races can get nasty."

Actually, Leone had to hold his breath for 21.56 seconds -- good enough for the second spot

2001 Taco Bell 300 runner-up Brandon Butler drove his Monte Carlo to the third quickest time and won't have to endure today's heat races. Known for featuring aggressiveness and tenacity, the qualifying races are fun to watch, but not so much fun to be involved in. Take pole-sitting Triplett Jr.'s word for it.

"Cars get torn up and people get angry, but it's quite a show," he said. "That's what racing's all about. The best men will win."

That's the way last years's best man, 2001 winner Phil Warren, will have to earn his way into the field. Warren's time of 21.91 seconds Saturday was only 82nd best, giving him the 10th spot in one of the 25-lap qualifying race.

Jason York will start alongside Butler in the fourth spot while Bassett's Butch Hamlet will round out the top five.

Stuart's Draft native Chad Harris will start sixth, followed by Woody Howard of Chesapeake and Chesterfield, SC's Gilbert King. Timothy Peters is ninth and Jerry Burr will start 10th.

Once again, none of the drivers came close to matching the Taco Bell 300's qualifying record. Ronnie Thomas' time of 21.069 seconds still stands, as it has since 1989.