Kerry Earnhardt’s first career pole came at a fitting place: Daytona.

Earnhardt, the lesser-known son of Dale Earnhardt and the half-brother of Dale Earnhardt Jr., claimed the pole Thursday night for the season-opening NASCAR Craftsman Truck series race at Daytona International Speedway.

Kerry did it in his first truck race, in a backup truck and at the track where his late father dominated for so many years before he was killed four years ago in the Daytona 500.

Kerry just missed qualifying for the Daytona 500 on Thursday afternoon, being edged by Kenny Wallace a few feet from the finish line.

Although the truck race doesn’t compare to NASCAR’s biggest event, Earnhardt said winning the first pole of his career helped him overcome the disappointment he experienced a few hours earlier.

“I can’t describe what it feels like to be on top of the board,” he said. “It’s a big uplift. It was a downer not making the 500. I was down, but I didn’t really show it. I was all smiles. … But this is great.”

Earnhardt turned a fast lap of 182.478 mph on the 21/2-mile tri-oval, putting his Chevrolet in the top spot for Friday night’s Florida Dodge Dealers 250.

Dennis Setzer, the series’ runner-up the last two years, was second in a Chevy with a speed of 182.304, but he will have to start at the back of the field because he changed engines.

Robert Huffman was third in a Toyota at 181.962, but also will move to the back for the same reason.

Earnhardt, meanwhile, will remain up front even though he crashed his primary truck during practice Wednesday.

“The backup truck was just as fast, a little faster actually,” he said.

Although he has been relegated to NASCAR’s lesser series, Earnhardt has four career victories – all in the ARCA series.

“I never thought I would be able to race,” he said. “Dad was all about racing and Granddad was all about racing. Me and Dale Jr. were all about playing football and chasing girls. The girls got the best of me, and football got the best of him. Finally racing came up.

“Once I drove my first race, I knew that was what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be.”

AP-ES-02-17-05 2130EST