PHOTO: Brian Hoar (#37) and Joey Polewarczyk (#97) will lead the Milk Bowl field to the green flag on Sunday. (Justin St. Louis/VMM photo)
BARRE — Brian Hoar saved his best for last on Saturday.
The Williston driver, who has already clinched the 2010 American-Canadian Tour championship, was the last of 61 drivers to take a time trial lap in qualifying for the 48th Annual People’s United Bank Milk Bowl, and cranked out a lap of 13.001 seconds to beat the time of Joey Polewarcyzk, Jr., and take the $1,000 Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Pole.
Polewarczyk, of Hudson, N.H., timed in at 13.023 seconds and will start on the outside of the front row on Sunday. St-Denis, Que., driver Patrick Laperle will start third with a lap of 13.131 seconds.
It is the fifth career Milk Bowl pole for Hoar — who won that honor each year from 1997 to 2000 — and fifth consecutive front-row start for Polewarczyk, who won the pole in 2006-08 and started second last year.
“It feels awesome. Last year I went out early in the run, but back in 2000 I was one of the last cars out. I said, ‘I want to do that again,’ and it worked out for us,” said Hoar. “The car was really good.”
Hoar’s pole win makes him the all-time leader in that category for the Milk Bowl; he had previously been tied with Robbie Crouch and Dave Dion at four poles apiece. Hoar just missed Polewarczyk’s 2006 track record lap of 12.935 seconds.
Brent Dragon of Milton will start fourth after winning the first of three 50-lap qualifying heats. John Donahue and Joey Laquerre, winners of the second and third heats, respectively, will start in row three. Eric Williams, Dave Pembroke, Glen Luce, and Matt White will round out the top ten starters.
Positions 1-3 were determined through the time trials. Positions 4-18 were filled by the top-five finishers in each heat race. Positions 19-24 were the six fastest time trial drivers not already qualified. The balance of the 30-car starting field will be determined through last-chance racing and provisionals on Sunday.
