Sadler captures the pole at Iowa Speedway

Series leaders get starting spots up front in Iowa

Elliott Sadler got the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet around Iowa Speedway in 23.523 seconds during qualifying on Saturday to earn the pole starting spot for Sunday's Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the track.

Sadler now has two Nationwide Series poles at Iowa Speedway in only three starts. He's looking forward to his third start at the track.

"Last season was the first time I had the opportunity to race there, and we walked away with two good finishes," Sadler said. "After last week's unfortunate finish at Darlington Raceway, I think the entire team is hungry for a win at Iowa."

He'll be joined on the front row by Sam Hornish Jr. who turned in the second-fastest qualifying lap time of 23.632 seconds in the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge.

"Iowa is a great facility and fun place to race," Hornish said. "The track itself, while being short, offers drivers a couple different lines."

Series points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will start his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford from the third spot after a 23.664-second qualifying lap. He won both Nationwide races at Iowa in 2011.

"It would be awesome to win three races in a row at a single track," Stenhouse said.

Sam Hornish, Jr.

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

Michael McDowell qualified the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota fourth with a lap time of 23.669 seconds for his first start of the year in the No. 18 car. Justin Allgaier was fifth in qualifying was a 23.771-second lap in the No. 31 Turner Motorsports Chevrolet.

Darrell Wallace will make his Nationwide Series debut from the eighth spot on the starting grid in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota after turning in a lap time of 23.829 seconds in qualifying.

Forty-three drivers made qualifying attempts, the exact number to make up a full race field; therefore, all who made qualifying runs received spots on the starting grid.