Sarah Palin was allegedly caught speeding in Alaska last week, but she has an excuse that's sure to make many of her NASCAR-loving fans smile.

"I wasn’t speeding, I was qualifying," she joked to TMZ.

Records posted online by Alaska's CourtView system show Palin was ticketed by the Wasilla Police Department on July 16 for going 10 to 19 mph over the speed limit, which is listed as a minor offense.

TMZ says she was doing 63 mph in a 45 mph zone in a Toyota Tundra pickup truck.

The former governor of Alaska joked that her choice in music may have played a role in her speed, telling TMZ that she was listening to "I Can't Drive 55" by Sammy Hagar.

Palin was fined $144, plus a $10 surcharge. The ticket is currently listed as unpaid, but TMZ reports that she plans to settle up soon.

For the record, qualifying speeds at a recent NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway ranged from 194.963 mph to 204.557 mph.