become the place for the next up and coming stars of tomorrow and was the same path chosen by now NASCAR Nationwide Series driver, Matt DiBenedetto in 2006.

Poole quickly found himself hooked up with Jamie Yelton and his Fat Head Racing Driver Development program, but with only a few weeks left until the start of the touring series season, Poole had to get ready in a hurry. Poole took to the track for the first time at Hickory Motor Speedway clocking in laps as fast as other track regulars and impressing right from the very start. His next time on the track was a test session at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series sanctioned, Bristol Motor Speedway and after the Hickory season opener was rained out, Bristol would be the site of his first career Late Model Stock Car start.

Bristol is one of the fastest tracks that the series competes on and Poole quickly proved he was up to the task by racing up inside of the top ten before getting involved in someone else's crash and ending his run. His next race would be at the biggest track on the UARA-STARS Series tour, the newly reopened Rockingham Speedway and again while running strong inside the top 10 before cutting a tire at lap 38 in the race. The season started off with a 25th and 16th place finish for Poole and left him trailing several other rookies in the points early on.

Poole's third race wouldn't show much improvement while running 9th a car ran across his front end and he collected a 17th place finish at Concord Speedway. But, before the series could head to race number four at Tri-County Motor Speedway, Poole and his team hit a non-UARA sanctioned Late Model Stock Car race at the same track. This race would change the minds of him and his team as they all had a little pep in their step after picking up a victory in one of the twin races.

That momentum would be slowed slightly as the series hit stop number four at Tri-County as the team hit a bump in the road as they got a bad set of tires to race on after practicing among the fastest cars at the event. However the team would pick up an 11th place finish and prepared for the next stop on the tour and that's when Brennan showed just what he had as a driver and put himself on the map in Late Model Stock Car racing.

Dillon Motor Speedway in Dillon, SC would be the site of the fifth of 16 stops for the UARA tour and after pacing much of the practice sessions, Poole posted the outside pole in qualifying for the 150-lap race. Poole's second place start was short lived however as the young driver was black flagged for jumping the start after the leader spun his tires, a bad call by the officials, but as the young driver has learned over the years that's going to happen from time to time.

Poole remained calm behind the wheel, took his penalty and stayed on the lead lap just ahead of the leaders until he got a caution. Once he picked up a caution he began a charge, one like you rarely see in Late Model Stock Car racing as this particular type of racing is so competitive that it's rare to see a driver make a charge from the rear to the front. Poole apparently didn't get the memo about that as he tore through the field passing car after car until he had climbed into the top ten, then the top five and people were taking notice.

It was a once in a lifetime kind of charge, Poole was looking to be on his way to winning this race despite the early race penalty and subsequent stop and go on pit road. However as his season had been going to this point he made the move to the inside of the third place car and the car began to sputter as he would have ignition troubles, which he originally thought might be an engine issue. Being the smart driver he is, Poole decided to park it for the night rather than take a chance in tearing up his equipment despite there being less than 25-laps to go. Poole would be credited with another 17th place finish and it would seem that he's been incredibly strong, but his finish continued not to show it.

Poole's performances continued to be much better than the end result as he had nearly everything imaginable happen to him over the course of the next few races, but in stop number ten as he picked up his first series top ten at one of the toughest tracks in the series races on. Ace Speedway has been known to be an achilles heel for even the best in the business, but Poole found his learning curve to be much shorter and found himself in the top ten by the end of the race finishing eighth.

For Poole that might have been his first top ten in the UARA, but after picking up a win and several other top ten finishes early in the season and picking up a sixth place finish in July at Hickory in the non-UARA sanctioned, Dwight Huffman Memorial, it appears the young driver is beginning to hit his stride. He followed that top ten finish up with another one on yet another tough track as the series hit Myrtle Beach Speedway. Myrtle Beach is tough on tires and has chewed up and spit out many of rookies and veterans alike. Despite his team in a rollover truck accident on the way to the track and unable to help in practice with a 19th starting position, Poole had a solid performance and picked up another eighth place finish.

Then it was on to the smallest of the tracks for the UARA tour in Newport, TN, the Newport Speedway, which is a tough 3/10 mile high banked track. Poole would find himself picking up his first top five finish there as he drove a smart race despite getting run into by another driver and having a tire going down late in the race. Fifth at Newport would be his best career UARA-STARS Series finish as of August 29th, but as the season wound down this rookie would find himself firmly in charge of the rookie point standings and with a lot more left to accomplish.

Then it was back to Dillon Motor Speedway and Poole was expected to just walk in and take charge of this race, but he had tire issues and was never even a factor, but as he headed to the biggest Late Model Stock Car race of the season, a non-UARA sanctioned race at Martinsville Speedway. Poole put on his best performance to date as he qualified into the top 10 among nearly ninety cars and then put himself in position during the first half of the race to make a run in the second half.

He then got more than he bargained for as an invert at halfway put him among the leaders and he quickly put his car out front leading laps on a couple different occasions before settling for a third place finish late in the Bailey's 300 race. Poole now had the confidence he needed after putting himself among the top drivers in the Late Model Stock Car world. Poole had a couple of great runs in the next two races, but again found himself without the finishes to show for it, but with one race left in the season the young driver wanted to go out with a bang.

Poole headed to Concord Speedway, a place where he wasn't very good at the first time the series raced there and even worse when the series had come there a few weeks earlier and got rained out, but this time he wasn't going to be denied. Poole was fast from the start in practice and looked to be on his way to being among the contenders, but late in the final practice his team was dealt a crushing blow. The engine in his car went up in smoke and it appeared his day was going to come to a slow crawl if not be over completely.

However, team owner Jamie Yelton worked hard and found another engine to go in his car, but Poole wouldn't get to qualify and didn't get any laps with the new engine in the car. The green flag dropped and Poole quickly found out his car was just as fast as it was before as he made a climb through the field. His climb through the field was aided slightly, by a few of the front runners falling victim to tire problems and crashes, but still the young driver drove his heart out and made it up to the front of the field.

Poole then challenged for the win in the late stages of the race and came home with a second place finish thus locking up the UARA-STARS Series Rookie of the Year award and solidifying his place in the series history book.

"It feels great to pick up the rookie of the year award," said Poole. "To know that guys like Matt DiBenedetto and Darrell Wallace, who have went on to be signed by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams have won this honor is pretty special. I might get the Rookie of the Year title but this team over came all the adversity. From engine failures, tire failures,rollover accidents going to the race track, to official mistakes. They were always positive and believed in me. I feel blessed by God to have such and awesome team. I can't thank Jamie Yelton, David King, Jerry Dickerson, Jason GoForth, Seth Smith, Dave Moore, Wayne Ingle, Greg Marlowe, Kevin Blanks, Nathan "Cookie" enough. They are truly my best friends.  Now we'll see what we can put together over the off season and come back next year and be up there battling with Matt McCall(2009 Champion)."

Though Poole's 2009 season maybe completed he's not slowing down as he continues to work out daily and prepare for the 2010 season as he will return to the UARA-STARS Series in hopes of challenging for the championship. Look for Poole to continue to improve heading into the 2010 season in the UARA-STARS Series. Poole will make an announcement concerning his 2010 plans in full soon, so be sure to check out his website for the latest information.

Brennan is supported by Midas Total Car Care, TXAZ Auto Enterprise, Marlowe Racing Chassis, Tiger Rear Ends, Blake Carburetors and Bearden Oil Racing Fuels. For more on Brennan Poole please visit his website at www.brennanpoole.com or contact RaceBrand Driver Management at (276) 613-4208.