Saturday, April 18, 1998 | 8:34 a.m.
Compton was fastest of 38 NASCAR Craftsman Truck competitors with a lap at 126.591 mph in a Ford around the one-mile oval, followed by Ron Barfield in a Chevrolet at 126.334 mph.
Joe Ruttman, who won the truck race here last fall and holds the track qualifying record, was 21st at 124.809 mph.
Jack Sprague, who won three straight truck races at Phoenix before Ruttman snapped the string, was third at 126.311.
Brian Tyler turned an unofficial lap at 139.050 mph to pace the USAC sprint car practice. Should he duplicate that lap in Saturday's qualifying, it would better the non-winged sprint car record of 138.366 mph set last year at Phoenix by Dave Steele.
J.J. Yeley, Tyler and Jack Hewitt entered the sprint-car event after taking driver's tests for the Indianapolis 500 earlier this week at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Practice and qualifying are also scheduled Saturday for the trucks, sprint cars and NASCAR Winston West cars. The series' race on Sunday.
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