Concord, N.C. ? Sports car veteran Bill Lester won the first pole of his NASCAR career in Craftsman Truck series qualifying Thursday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Lester locked up the top starting spot for tonight’s Hardee’s 200 with a lap at 175.893 mph in a Dodge. He edged Jason Leffler, whose Dodge got around the 11/2-mile oval at 175.530.

The 42-year-old Lester became the first black driver to win a NASCAR pole since Wendell Scott started first in a Grand National race in 1962.