MERIDIAN, Miss. (Oct. 25) — Neil Baggett of Shannon, Miss., drove Randy Thompson’s No. K3 to a victory in the first heat Friday at Whynot Motorsports Park to earn Saturday’s pole position for the 19th annual Coors Light Fall Classic. | Video | Slideshow | Notebook

Baggett will start on the front row alongside Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., guest starring in a Louisiana-based Childress Racing entry, in Saturday’s $15,000-to-win main event.

“I believe we’re going to be pretty good,” Baggett said. “(Car owner) Randy Thompson, he’s got that car running good, and the equipment is second to none. Just a few tweaks and I believe we’ll be OK."

Besides Baggett and O’Neal, other Friday heat winners on a chilly evening were David Breazeale of Four Corners, Miss., Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo., Chris Smith of Brewton, Ala., and Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark. The six drivers will make up for the first three rows of the 24-car feature field.

Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., topped 42 drivers in time trials, but his second-place finish in the first heat puts him in the fourth row Saturday in Whynot’s season-ender.

Notes: Two-time race winner Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, piloted one of Ray Moore’s cars and finished fifth in the fourth heat race; he’ll run a consolation race Saturday. … Klint Byars of Calhoun City, Miss., is making only his fifth appearance of the season. … The event also drew 42 Crate Late Models.

Friday’s heat race results

First heat: Neil Baggett, Shane Clanton, Jake Knowles, Bub McCool, Allen Murray, Clint Smith, Jamie Tollison.

Second heat: Don O’Neal, Steve Francis, Eddie Rickman, Jason Fitzgerald, Dane Dacus, Jeremy Broadus, Keith Miller.

Third heat: David Breazeale, Klint Byars, Eric Cooley, Chris McElhenney, Austin Smith, Robbie Stuart, Justin McRee.

Fourth heat: Jeremy Payne, Ray Moore, Dennis Erb Jr., Morgan Bagley, Brian Birkhofer, Tyler Reddick, Chase Junghans.

Fifth heat: Chris Smith, Chad Thrash, Brian Rickman, Chris Wall, Jason Cliburn, Scott Dedwylder. Scratched: Jamie Elam.

Sixth heat: Wendell Wallace, Jason McBride, Kyle Beard, Jack Sullivan, Jimmy Cliburn, Leon Henderson.

Feature lineup

Row 12: Consolation transfers

Consolation lineups