Sanchez takes pole for NASCAR Truck title race at Homestead

Nick Sanchez claimed pole position for Friday night's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Driving the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado, he set a lap of 32.756 seconds, an average of 164.855 mph, to top the qualifying session. It is his eighth pole in his Truck Series career, which comes in his 51st start.

Sanchez said winning the race is the goal. "We want to win the race," he said, adding that he has led laps from the pole at Homestead before and wants to go on and win.

Chandler Smith, who won last weekend's Truck Series event at Martinsville Speedway, will start on the outside of the front row. Defending champion Corey Heim qualified third, just ahead of championship contenders Layne Riggs and Kaden Honeycutt, who will start fourth and fifth.