Mike Looney, pictured at Martinsville Speedway. (Kimberly Austin/Race22.com photo)

Mike Looney, driving for the underdog team headed by Billy Martin, stole the pole at Martinsville, clinching himself an automatic berth in Sunday’s ValleyStar Credit Union 300. Looney will be joined by runner-up Lee Pulliam at the head of the field.

Looney, part of an underfunded team, made up mainly of personal friends as sponsors said post-practice.

“We have had an absolutely blessed day, the lord really has smiled upon us.”

Looney had an all-around good day saying, “tech went pretty good earlier, practice went really well, we were second quickest.”

After winning the pole, Looney described his emotions as indescribable, “It feels like any moment we will wake up and it will be 5:30am and we will be getting ready to load up to go to Martinsville, it feels like we are on cloud nine. I think I’m dreaming right now, I just pray to the lord that I don’t wake up and its not a dream.”

Looney, is part of a small team and didn’t think a pole like this was possible “with our budget and our resources, I really didn’t see this as possible.”

The fastest car in recent years hasn’t ended up in Victory Lane, where it should and Looney knows this, “To qualify on pole is great but we know it will be difficult to stay there. The fastest car rarely wins, but hopefully this is one of those rare times. If we can just survive the first 175 laps, put new tires on and come out of here with the clock.”

Looney just wants to have fun, starting from pole and clinching himself a spot in the 300 goes a long way towards taking stress off him and allowing him to have as much fun as he wants.

Qualifying Times

  1. #87 Mike Looney – 20.323
  2. #5 Lee Pulliam – 20.342
  3. #14 Ryan Repko – 20.354
  4. #04 CE Falk, III – 20.383
  5. #08 Deac McCaskill – 20.390
  6. #17A Stacy Puryear – 20.392
  7. #83 Matt Bowling – 20.421
  8. #27 Tommy Lemons, Jr. – 20.428
  9. #88 Josh Berry – 20.435
  10. #02 Brandon Butler – 20.448
  11. #33 Macy Causey – 20.456
  12. #01 Philip Morris – 20.460
  13. #12 Nick Smith – 20.463
  14. #26A Danny Edwards – 20.464
  15. #22 Trevor Noles – 20.478
  16. #17 Ryan Millington – 20.487
  17. #12B Bobby McCarty – 20.501
  18. #15 Kres VanDyke – 20.502
  19. #2A Myatt Snider – 20.507
  20. #97 Greg Edwards – 20.518
  21. #1A Christian Eckes – 20.524
  22. #63 Tyler Matthews – 20.532
  23. #4C Annabeth Barnes-Crum – 20.534
  24. #4 Dylan Hall – 20.536
  25. #57 Justin Carroll – 20.541
  26. #03 Brenden Queen – 20.546
  27. #24 Mason Diaz – 20.546
  28. #50 Boo Boo Dalton – 20.552
  29. #73 Bruce Anderson – 20.554
  30. #98 Stefan Parsons – 20.555
  31. #4A Kyle Dudley – 20.558
  32. #16 R.D. Smith – 20.561
  33. #54 Michael Fose – 20.568
  34. #20 Sam Yarbrough – 20.574
  35. #21A Travis Swaim – 20.581
  36. #99 Layne Riggs – 20.590
  37. #50A Garrett Bunch – 20.599
  38. #2 Brandon Pierce – 20.602
  39. #51 Chris Chapman – 20.608
  40. #01A G.R. Waldrop – 20.616
  41. #98A B.J. Mackey – 20.617
  42. #21 Mike Darne – 20.622
  43. #12C Ryan Wilson – 20.623
  44. #12A Austin Thaxton – 20.634
  45. #81B Patrick Coleman – 20.636
  46. #5A Tyler English – 20.642
  47. #18 Bradley McCaskill – 20.669
  48. #41 Haley Moody – 20.686
  49. #18A Jason York – 20.693
  50. #21B Jimmy Wallace – 20.715
  51. #1 Jamie Sweeny – 20.728
  52. #55 Mark Wertz – 20.729
  53. #90 Terry Carroll – 20.747
  54. #51A Kyle Plott – 20.751
  55. #42 Jamie Byrd – 20.752
  56. #9 Brad Kurth – 20.768
  57. #57A Jimmy Mullins – 20.790
  58. #8 Thomas Scott – 20.791
  59. #19 Cameron Bowen – 20.795
  60. #7 Dylan Ward – 20.806
  61. #29 Brandon Baker – 20.819
  62. #81A Zack Clifton – 20.828
  63. #81 Justin Johnson –20.873
  64. #38 Mark Kessee, Jr. – 20.888
  65. #25 Derrick Lancaster – 20.901
  66. #26 Peyton Sellers – 20.919
  67. #77 Trevor Ward – 20.929
  68. #10 Kevin Parker – 20.931
  69. #4B John Moore – 20.937
  70. #78 Ricky Gillespie – 21.069
  71. #36 Mark Simpson – 21.215