SPARTA, Ky. — The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is the featured event at Kentucky Speedway this weekend, but local ARCA driver Willie Green brought the big thunder here Thursday.

Willie Green (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

        The trucks hit the speedway at 5:30 p.m. today for Cincinnati Enquirer and Post Pole Night, which sets the field for Saturday night's Kroger 225. But the ARCA support race tonight (9 p.m.) features a good story in Green, a Walton, Ky., racer still grieving the death last month of his father, Bill.

        Willie Green, 37, qualified seventh Thursday for tonight's race, quite a feat considering his Florence-based Kelly Green Racing team cannot match the budgets of full-time ARCA stock-car teams. That includes pole sitter Frank Kimmel, the ARCA season points leader.

        Willie Green (166.631 mph) held the pole for nearly a half-hour during Thursday's qualifying, before the “name” teams began to assert themselves.

        “I can just hear Dad laughing, because he loved to beat what he called the "money' teams,” Willie Green said, smiling. “Hopefully we can run up front.”

        Bill Green was a former ARCA rookie of the year (1977) who sent sons Willie and Brandon into racing. When Willie finished fifth at the ARCA race at Kentucky Speedway in May, Bill was thrilled, because Willie — director of transportation for Covington City Schools — races only part time.

        “I'm so proud of him,” Bill Green said in May, and the words ring in Willie's ears.

SCHEDULE

Today   (All tickets $30)   • 4 p.m. — Gates open   • 5:30 p.m. — NASCAR Craftsman Truck pole qualifying   • 6 p.m. — Tim Rushlow concert   • 7:15 p.m. — Craftsman Truck final practice   • 9 p.m. — ARCA Blue Grass Quality Meats 200 race   Saturday   • 3 p.m. — Gates open   • 6 p.m. — Joe Diffie concert   • 8 p.m. — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Kroger 225 race   Tickets: kentuckyspeedway.com, purchase tickets at the track, or call 1-888-652-RACE.

        “I thought about not coming down here,” Willie said. “The only reason I'm here is that it's Kentucky.”

        Bill Green, who helped operate Willie's ARCA team, died the week before Father's Day at age 56. Bill had some health problems, but his death still came as a shock.

        Jeff Alsip, a friend of the Greens and a racer himself, was concerned Willie would not make this weekend's race. Alsip is helping on Willie Green's pit crew.

        “When Bill died, I know that took away some of Willie's motivation,” Alsip said. “At first he said, "I don't want to do it, because my dad won't be there.' But I think he's feeling a little better now.”

        Green's team is trying to get the crowd, which is expected to be well over 20,000 tonight, behind its Kentucky boy. Tom Kelly, owner of Wildwood Inn in Florence and co-owner of Green's racing team, is distributing dozens of free “Kelly Green Racing” T-shirts to fans.

        “It's tough without Dad, but I'm trying to concentrate,” Willie Green said. “Now that I'm here and strapped in my car, it's a little better. When I'm out there, I'm sure I'll be hearing him in my ear.”

        PFLUM RETURNS: Jeep Pflum of Cincinnati, running for West Chester-based Rite Track Racing, qualified 12th for tonight's ARCA race. Pflum finished 19th at the ARCA race at Kentucky in May.

        Other notables in tonight's ARCA field include Dale Jarrett's son, Jason, who will start third, and former NFL coach Jerry Glanville, who will start 11th. Glanville finished 10th at the May ARCA race here.

        ALL'S QUIET: Thursday's ARCA qualifying was not open to the public. The truck teams don't arrive until this morning.

        TRUCK FAVORITES: Scott Riggs, Joe Ruttman and two-time truck series champion Jack Sprague are among the pole favorites for the trucks tonight, as they stand 1-2-3 in the season points race.

        Others to watch include former Winston Cup regular Ted Musgrave (four wins this season) and Ricky Hendrick, last week's truck winner at Kansas City. Hendrick is the son of Winston Cup car owner Rick Hendrick.

        STEELE OUT: Tim Steele, three-time ARCA series champion and winner of the Kentucky ARCA 150 race last July here, withdrew his entry for tonight's Blue Grass Quality Meats 200.

        Steele, who stands a distant No.2 to Kimmel in ARCA season points, missed the recent ARCA Watkins Glen race and said: “It more or less knocked us out of the driver's championship. Right now, our plan is to take this opportunity to re-evaluate our situation and regroup for the remainder of the year.”

        Kimmel has 3,205 points and Steele has 2,875, a virtually insurmountable lead for Kimmel.

Get the lowdown on other events at Kentucky Speedway in our special section

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