Sprague

Riggs, promoted to the Busch Series to drive the car vacated by 2000 champion Jeff Green, drove his Dodge Ram around the 2-mile California Speedway at an average speed of 173.678 mph. The pole was the fifth of the year for Riggs, who's battling Joe Ruttman for second place in the truck standings behind Jack Sprague.

Sprague, who qualified his Chevrolet Silverado sixth fastest, will wrap up an unprecedented third Craftsman Truck championship simply by starting the season's 24th and final event.

Ruttman, who lost second to Riggs a week ago in Phoenix, qualified his Dodge 15th. Four points separate Riggs and Ruttman.

"We started the season at Daytona on the front row and we're ending it on the front row at California," Riggs said. "Hopefully, we can lead the first lap, pick up five bonus points and double our point lead on Joe."

Riggs, with five victories is second only to Ultra Motorsports teammate Ted Musgrave who has won six times in 2001. A win Saturday would give the two-truck team a .500 batting average on a season in which Dodge scored its first manufacturer championship.

"That would be beautiful. That's exactly what I'd like to do," Riggs responded.

Riggs admits that Saturday's race will be bittersweet.

"We're definitely going to miss everybody," he said. "It's like coming into a family with open arms and getting to know everyone and then having to leave."

Travis Kvapil, another driver looking for a championship, qualified second in his Chevrolet at 172.542. Kvapil enters the Auto Club 200 with a 15-point lead over Ricky Hendrick in the rookie of the year standings. Both drivers have won a race in 2000 -- Kvapil at Texas Motor Speedway and Hendrick at Kansas Speedway. Hendrick will start 13th.

Rick Crawford, looking for his eighth top-five finish in his last nine starts, was third fastest in a Ford at 172.496. Joining Crawford on row two will be Dennis Setzer who qualified his Chevrolet at 172.191. David Starr with the No. 5 qualifier in a Chevrolet at 172.109.

Sprague, Lance Norick, Bryan Reffner, Jon Wood and Terry Cook complete the top-10 qualifiers.

Six drivers failed to make the 36-truck lineup for Saturday's 200-mile, 100-lap race.