Team Chevy Drivers Capture Five of Top-Six Starting Positions for Checker Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil

Team Chevy Drivers Capture Five of Top-Six Starting Positions for Checker Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil Martin Truex, Jr. and Jeff Gordon Start Second and Third at Phoenix International Raceway

Phoenix - (November 9, 2007) - Team Chevy drivers captured five of the top-six starting positions for Sunday's Checker Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil at Phoenix International Raceway. Martin Truex, Jr. No. 01 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Impala SS will start second, while Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont Impala SS will start third.

A total of 19 Chevrolet Impala SS drivers will start the 312-lap/312-mile/500K race scheduled to start Sunday 1:30 MST with ABC TV bringing the action live.

Select quotes from driver interview:

Martin Truex, Jr. and Jeff Gordon Phoenix Post-Qualifying Quotes Audio File

MARTIN TRUEX, JR., NO. 1 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER BOATS IMPALA SS, QUALIFIED 2ND:

"Well I was surprised. We didn't have the greatest practice. We were only about 32nd in the order. We did a bunch of race practice and did a few qualify8ing runs and we were really tight all day. Bono (crew chief Kevin Manion) and engineer Walter came up with a plan and did it and the car was really good. I was really proud of them and real happy about the run. Three one thousandths is a little tough to swallow, but that is the third time we have been second by about that much this year, so that stinks. It was a good run for us, I am real proud of all the guys for their efforts. They do a great job for me."

ON HIS THOUGHTS OF HAVING THREE INDY 5OO CHAMPIONS IN SUNDAY'S FIELD: "I think it says a lot about NASCAR and the sport and how great of a series we have here and how competitive it is. For those guys to be as successful as they are in their own right and in their own series to want to come over here and race with us, I just think it says a lot for the competition and the competitors here."

ON HOW IMPORTANT TRACK POSITION IS HERE AT PIR: "I think anywhere we go, because the field is so close, because of the new generation race car especially. If you look at the times in practice and the times in qualifying, everybody is really close and that curve on pit road down there in one and two can be really tricky too, so a good pit stall helps a lot here."

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT IMPALA SS, QUALIFIED 3RD:

"It was a pretty good day for us, I just got a little free there qualifying on the second lap, so we just weren't able to put down the lap we were hoping for, but all in all a good day."

ON HIS THOUGHTS OF HOW IMPORTANT STARTING POSITION WILL BE ON SUNDAY WITH CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE: "Track position, we found the last time qualifying on the pole was important, also the pit you get on pit road is important. I am happy that we are third, I would rather have been first, but I am really glad we aren't 10th or 15th or further on back. With this car at this race track, it just seems to me that unless you have really found something good, it is hard to come up through the field."