Tropicana Twister 300 - Rookie Qualifying Quotes

JOEY CLANTON IN THE NO. 27 TRIMSPA PONTIAC WAS THE HIGHEST QUALIFYING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE AT CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY. HE TOOK TOP QUALIFYING ROOKIE HONORS FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS SEASON.

"We're definitely happy with that. We've been struggling big time on our qualifying all year trying to learn these cars. We came here off our run at Daytona last week and Milwaukee the week before and just got a big confidence boost there. It really does play a big role coming into an event like this. You come to a big track like Chicago and the track is so smooth and I can put everything I can driving-wise to the racetrack. It paid off today. The car was so good the first lap and I tried to get a little more out of it the second lap and I got in too deep and pushed up the racetrack. It kind of hurt us there on our second lap time. The first lap was good enough for what we were looking for." YOU PICKED UP TWO-TENTHS FROM WHAT YOU RAN IN PRACTICE. "I was looking for about four (tenths). I caused that. We probably should be faster. It's just me trying to learn the racecars and learn the racetrack, not having tested here. I told them (his crew) that we could go faster. I thought we could get a little more than that. When I tried to get a little extra out of it on the second lap, the car pushed up and we lost about another two-tenths there. That's the biggest thing, getting used to the cars, plus getting used to the tires, the speed, the qualifying runs, just getting confidence in the car. Last week at Daytona, I never thought going there would give you a big confidence booster like that. I learned a lot there, not only just running Daytona in the draft but I learned a lot about the racecar and what you have to do in the air. It paid off coming here." WAS THE TRACK CONSISTENT FROM PRACTICE TO QUALIFYING? "I think so. I think the racetrack stayed real consistent. The racetrack has a ton of grip, a ton. I've run the mile track over in Chicago (Chicago Motor Speedway) twice. It's the same kind of asphalt. The racetrack looks the same after the progression of the years. That racetrack never lost grip and I don't think this one is going to lose it either." WILL WE SEE A SECOND GROOVE HERE FOR THE RACE? "Probably so. There is a second groove it's just not as fast as the first but you can get out there now so I think you might see a second groove by the end of the race."

JASON WHITE, NO. 0 EAGLE JET INTERNATIONAL CHEVROLET:

"We had an oil leak so we didn't get much practice. I think we picked up six or seven-tenths. That was better but still it wasn't as good as what we would have liked but it was better than what it was. CAN YOU CONTINUE TO IMPROVE DURING HAPPY HOUR PRACTICE? "I think so. I've probably only run 10 or 12 laps all day. The more laps I get on this track, I've never been here before, the better I'll get and the better I'll get the car. The racetrack is great. It's smooth, fast, and every racer should like it."

COY GIBBS, NO. 18 MBNA PONTIAC:

"That's a good lap for us. Obviously it's not a stellar lap to get in the top-10 with but it was an improvement for us. I'll take it. The qualifying is so different nowadays. I think we figured out what our problem was. I think the cloud cover helped us. In fact, I think it's going to start raining right now."

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