QUALIFYING: Daniel Dye wins first career General Tire Pole Award at Berlin

MARNE, Mich. — Daniel Dye was second fastest in Saturday’s practice session at Berlin Raceway. That speed was no fluke.

The 17-year-old driver of the No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet qualified on the pole ahead of the evening’s Zinsser SmartCoat 200 at the 7/16-mile paved oval, a race that will mark just the second start for Dye in the ARCA Menards Series. It’s his first General Tire Pole Award on the ARCA Menards platform.

Dye, who is running a part-time schedule for GMS Racing in the ARCA Menards Series after competing in six East Series events for Ben Kennedy Racing (plus one for GMS) dating back to last season, paced the field in Saturday’s qualifying session at Berlin with a lap time of 16.468 seconds (95.640 mph).

Dye’s accomplishment means the Zinsser SmartCoat 200 will be the first ARCA Menards Series race since the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway that a driver not named Ty Gibbs or Corey Heim will start on the pole.

Heck yeah! Not sure what I did but it worked. These @GMSRacingLLC guys hooked me up with a good piece. https://t.co/F9U57kRUhL

— Daniel Dye (@danieldye43) July 17, 2021

Gibbs, who was fastest in practice, will join Dye on the front row to start Saturday night’s race.

Heim, Taylor Gray and Jesse Love rounded out the top 10 in qualifying.

The Zinsser SmartCoat 200 at Berlin is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET and broadcast live on MAVTV with a live stream available on NBC Sports Gold’s TrackPass.

Qualifying results / starting lineup: Zinsser SmartCoat 200 at Berlin Raceway