Where the Raybestos Rookies will start at Bristol:
K. Kahne, 2nd
B. Gaughan: 17th
B. Vickers: 20th
S. Wimmer: 34th
S. Riggs: 39th
SCOTT WIMMER, #22 CATERPILLAR DODGE: "We were better than that in practice. I don't know if going out first hurt us or not. The track changed a little bit. That will get us in the race but probably not where we need to be but it's a long race here and we have a real good car. We had a real good car in the spring and we'll just give it our all." WHAT WAS THE CONDITION OF THE TRACK WHEN YOU WENT? WAS THE TRACK SLICK? "It just seemed like there was dirt or something on it. Usually sitting like that, a concrete track doesn't change much but it probably hurt us a little bit but we'll work real hard and get the car up there and race."
SCOTT RIGGS, #10 VALVOLINE CHEVROLET: YOU HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING ALL DAY. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? "We just had some trouble when we unloaded here. The car was really, really loose getting in the corners here when we first started this morning. We just had the brake bias way off, had a lot of rear brake in it. It really screwed up about the first hour of practice trying to adjust the car and get it tighter and it screwed the center and off up. We finally figured out what our problem was and then we went back and tried to put some of it back and by that time we ran out of time. The car is pretty good through the center and off. We freed it up from our last run out there in practice and just way too loose getting in to turn three over there. I got loose both laps getting into three and just killed our time." DID THE TRACK CHANGE FROM PRACTICE TO QUALIFYING? "It's hard to say. I hope so. I hope it's a lot slicker because we ran the exact same time just then in qualifying was our best time all day and we were 41st in practice so I hope the track has slowed down a whole lot. I hate it because we lost so much valuable practice time this morning and it's sort of tied our hands with what we can do. We'll have to work our way up and keep fighting and see if we can play catch-up all weekend."
KASEY KAHNE IN THE #9 DODGE DEALERS/UAW DODGE WAS THE HIGHEST QUALIFYING RAYBESTOS ROOKIE AT BRISTOL. HE WILL START SECOND IN SATURDAY NIGHT'S RACE. "That was a great lap. We were a little tight earlier and Tommy [Baldwin] and these guys made a couple of good changes. I feel like I ran a great lap but Gordon is pretty darn good here but that's a great lap for our Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge." WHAT DOES THIS QUALIFYING SESSION TELL US ABOUT THE RACE? RACE WILL BE HELD UNDER COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CONDITIONS? "Yeah, it's going to be different but we're going to practice here in a little bit. I'm not sure. I think Tommy knows about that and he'll get us dialed in. I've never been here at the night race [laughs]. It will be exciting and I'm looking forward to it." WAS THAT A PERFECT LAP? "It felt good for me [smiles]. It seemed like a great lap, really. The crew is pretty excited. Tommy and guys made some changes there before qualifying. We weren't that good at all but we made some changes and the car was definitely better there. It felt pretty darn good." WAS THE TRACK DIFFERENT IN QUALIFYING THIS AFTERNOON VERSUS PRACTICE THIS MORNING? "It felt about the same. I guess it was a little bit hotter racetrack now but our car cut better so it felt better to me. They did a few things to make it cut better and that's why it felt better to us."
BRENDAN GAUGHAN, #77 KODAK EASY SHARE/JASPER ENGINES AND TRANSMISSIONS DODGE: WHAT HAPPENED IN TURN THREE? "I just got loose. I told 'em that it might be a little bit cooler and I think everybody is because that would make speeds pick up. I just got loose going into three the first lap but got real loose the second lap. I saved it for the most part, just flat sided it. It's not too bad, I think we might be able to keep this Dodge. We'd like to because it's a good one."
BRIAN VICKERS, #25 GMAC CHEVROLET: YOU HAVE STRUGGLED IN PRACTICE. WAS QUALIFYING ANY BETTER? "It was a little better. It was still tight in the center. That's just part of it. Bristol is a tough place to qualify. You hustle it so hard everything the car has got to be just right but we'll get it there for the race."
