Nemechek Wins Pole

A record-smashing lap gave Joe Nemechek the pole for the Humminbird Fishfinder 500-kilometer Busch Grand National stock car race.

Nemechek, driving a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, toured the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway oval at 192.878 mph, considerably better than the previous record of 189.921 set last July by Jeff Purvis.

Spokane’s Chad Little, the winner of last summer’s Busch Series race here, was the first to top the old mark, turning a lap of 190.689 in a Pontiac Grand Prix. But he was knocked off the pole by Nemechek and then pushed to the second row by Phil Parsons, who qualified a Chevy at 190.757.

Purvis, driving a Monte Carlo, was fourth at 189.895 in the opening round of qualifying for Saturday’s 311-mile, 117-lap race.