JEFF GORDON CAPTURES CAREER-SECOND POLE AT CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS SCORE EIGHT OF TOP-10 SPOTS IN STARTING ORDER FOR AUTO CLUB 500

Fontana, CA - Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont Cromax Pro Monte Carlo SS, captured his career-second pole at California Speedway to pace the field for Sunday's Auto Club 500.

Team Chevy drivers put eight Monte Carlo SS race cars in top-10 starting spots for the 250-lap/500-mile race. Mark Martin, No. 01 U.S. Army Monte Carlo SS will start third with Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Monte Carlo SS, along side, fourth in the order. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 8 Budweiser Monte Carlo SS rounds out the top-five starters.

Clint Bowyer, No. 07 Jack Daniels Monte Carlo SS, qualified sixth followed by Martin Truex, Jr., No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Monte Carlo SS. Jeff Burton, No. 31 Cingular Wireless Monte Carlo SS will roll off eighth on Sunday with Casey Mears, No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Monte Carlo starting 10th.

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT CROMAX PRO MONTE CARLO SS, QUALIFIED 1ST:

"This Dupont Cromax Pro Chevrolet has been awesome every since we unloaded off the truck. We do that because of a lot of hard work by the guys at the shop on this race car from the aerodynamics to the geometry and of course under the hood with this Hendrick Motorsports horsepower. They are making it a lot of fun for me out there right now, the car is just driving great, I am enjoying myself, enjoying the California sun. I am hoping when the sun goes down, the speeds don't pick up too much. That is a real good lap for right now, but guys that you don't think will pickup, pickup. The guys that drew late numbers, they are going to be the guys to beat. The wind has picked up a little bit, so that can affect. Once that sun goes down, it is going to be hard to beat some of those faster cars that go later."

JOE NEMECHEK, NO. 13 CERTAIN TEED/GINN RESORTS MONTE CARLO SS, QUALIFIED 26TH:

"A little bit loose going in to turn one. It is a tough qualifying effort for us. We are about a half of a second off of where we practiced. I got a little bit loose there in turn one and got in a tough spot. We have a car capable of winning the pole and it did the wiggle there and here we are in a tough spot. Most of the time we can ride through some of that stuff, I have to be the race on Sunday so my options are to conserve that lap and get one more and do a better lap on the second lap, that is what I had to do."

MARK MARTIN, NO. 01 U.S. ARMY MONTE CARLO SS, QUALIFIED 3RD:

"When he (Ryan Pemberton, crew chief) said '78', I thought 'Man, '78', I as hoping for a flat. Man, I didn't know what we did. We are still getting to know one another, Just a lot of different, we are just still getting to know each other, Man, this is just awesome to drive for this U.S. Army team, We probably won't do any better when we get to know one another, but it is sure going to feel less awkward, I ask him on the back stretch coming up to speed, 'Did you do this?', 'Did you do that?' you know. I am having a blast.

"It was a good lap for us. I am old and I don't qualify well. The track is going to get faster and we are going to get knocked back, but it isn't going to be like the last time I was here, I started last because I overdrove. I didn't want to do that so that was a conservative lap, we have just an awesome race car, great Hendrick horsepower, Life is so good for me right now, I just appreciate it all. I appreciate the opportunity to drive this stuff and have all these fans."

PAUL MENARD, NO. 15 MENARDS/QUAKER STATE MONTE CARLO SS, QUALIFIED 22ND:

"The first lap was just real conservative. I just wanted to get one down in the books and then concentrate on the time. Our intermediate program has come a long way since last year. Bono (Kevin Manion, crew chief) and the boys had an awesome, awesome off-season. We learned a lot at the Vegas test that has kind of applied here. The pressure is off now so we go run in happy hour and so good laps in and make our car drive good. And race 500 miles on Sunday.

"We didn't make a single race run, it was all qualifying runs. Gotta get in this weekend, especially after last weekend so we can make it in the top-35 in points. We have to do that to make races especially since Quaker State came on board with Menards to helping us out. It is cool to get them in the show and have some fun on Sunday."

JOHNNY SAUTER - NO. 70 BEST BUY MONTE CARLO SS - Qualified 31st:

"I'm stoked. I mean, I can't say enough. I didn't even know my car was blue this week, so we've got Best Buy on the car. This is huge. Out of the first five races, this one was the big question mark to me, because California has typically never been a great place for me. I'm fairly confident Bristol and Atlanta will be pretty good. This is awesome. It's too close for comfort, but we get to race on Sunday, and that's awesome.

"This is one of those places that's so big, that if you're off a little (on your setup), you're off a lot. All day long, we've been struggling a little bit. We missed the first half of practice (going through inspection), so for 'Bootie' (Barker) and the guys to get this thing in the show with only six laps of practice, that's big. My Hendrick motor is awesome. Once we get through these first five races, I'm going to be a lot happier. It's nerve wracking. So many cars are showing up every week, it's just hard to get through inspection.

"I pretty much spend the entire time (in practice) worrying about my car and it being all it can be. After practice, I'm looking at the sheet and I don't even care who's fastest, I'm looking at the 'go or go home' cars. I can't even say anything right now. I'm definitely aware of what everyone else is doing, and I'm glad we're as fast as we are."

JEFF GREEN - NO. 66 YELLOW TRANSPORTATION MONTE CARLO SS - QUALIFIED 16TH:

"I'm very happy with that lap. You know, Harold (Holly) and the guys spent most of their time in the off-season working on our down force package. We knew we had made some big gains, and this just proves it. The car really handled great, and I was able to drive it off really deep in the corners before I let off. It worked out really well for us. Track position always seems to be pretty important at this place, so it's nice to be able to start near the front. I'm excited about going to the intermediate tracks this season, and with there being so many of those, I think it puts us in a great position."

JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 CINGULAR WIRELESS MONTE CARLO SS - Qualified 8th:

"I am really proud of everybody on the Cingular Chevrolet team. We worked on race runs mostly, we made a couple of qualifying runs. The second one in practice was just horrendous. I couldn't go anywhere. The guys did just a great job. That is what is great about this team. Every time I sit in this car I am pretty convinced it is going to go fast. It gives me a lot of confidence. This is a good place to start."

CLINT BOWYER, NO. 07 JACK DANIELS MONTE CARLO SS, QUALIFIED 6th:

"I messed up, I got in to one a little bit too deep and it ruined our chances at a pole. The Jack Daniels Chevrolet is pretty good. It is the same old girl we brought here in the fall and ran third so it will a good start to the season after Daytona!

"If you get out of Daytona with the fenders on, it is the start of your season. If you don't, you chalk it up to its just Daytona. I am really looking forward to this race, I think we will be strong."

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 SHELL-PENNZOIL MONTE CARLO SS, QUALIFIED 4th:

"We'll take that. Pretty good place for our Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet to start. We didn't do a lot of work in qualifying trim so we are really looking forward to Sunday's race. It will be a busy weekend for us, but I like being in a car or truck so it all good."

POST-QUALIFYING PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT MONTE CARLO SS - Bud Pole Winner:

ON HIS QUALIFYING RUN: "It feels great. It's something that we pride ourselves on year after year, but they've been coming a lot farther and fewer between. We just put a great race car out there on the track today and a really nice lap there. I really thought somebody was going to beat us because we went so early and wth the sun going down. These guys have been working really hard to get us back where we need to be with getting poles and running fast and leading laps and hopefully winning races and battling for a championship. It's so early in the year, but this is a great start."

DOES IT HAVE A SPECIAL MEANING FOR YOU TO RACE AT YOUR HOME TRACK IN CALIFORNIA? "I'm more of a Bay Area guy. But I know there are a lot of fans out there pulling for the California guys and there is a lot of competition. Right now, you look at the guys from California who are running strong and winning races and championships and the Daytona 500 and it's pretty cool. But I do love coming out here. I like this track and I like the area. It's nice to come here twice a year - especially when the car is running like it is today. I have a lot more family and friends that come to the Sonoma race than come to the Southern California race. But I know the other California guys have a lot of fans and friends in this region that come."

DOES IT MATTER TO BE ON THE POLE FOR THIS RACE? "It's always nice to be on the pole. Anytime you can start up front, it's a plus. Does it guarantee you anything? No, it doesn't. We've had some good race cars here in the past where we've started deeper in the field and were able to get to the front. But if I had my choice, I'd rather start up front and on the pole. It kind of gets your weekend started out right. It gives you your pick of the pits, and really builds momentum. So I think there are just a lot of important things that come along with it, but it doesn't guarantee what the outcome is going to be on Sunday."