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Schrader on Pole for Winston Cup JIFFY LUBE 300

July 13, 1997

LOUDEN, NH -- The team of Petree and Schrader put together a stout combination and have put the #33 Skoal Bandit Chevrolet on the Busch pole for Sunday's Jiffy Lube 300 to be run at New Hampshire International Speedway. Schrader's 29.429 second (129.423 second) lap set the NHIS track record as well as got the team its first career NASCAR Winston Cup Busch pole.

After learning his time was good for the pole Schrader said, "All the guys on the Skoal Bandit team kept telling me how good they ran up here last year. I knew if we didn't run good that we were going to be in trouble. It was good right off the trailer. This is a car we haven't run this year. They ran it here last year and said they've had some of their best finishes with it. I've been wondering why we haven't run it, but it looks like it's a good one."

Sitting next to Schrader will be Bobby Hamilton in the # 43 STP Pontiac. Hamilton reflecting on the teams struggles of late commented, "I just want a good finish for a change. We've been trying some different body stuff, and Robbie Loomis decided to bring the same ol' Pontiac out we always run good in."

The drivers that round out the top-five spots in first round qualifying are, last years pole sitter Ricky Craven, Chad Little and Dale Jarrett.

NHIS treated the Pontiacs well as four got in the show in the top-ten. The big surprise was new comer Jerry Nadeau who qualified the R&L Carriers Pontiac in the 9th position.

Jeff Gordon had a miserable run and his time was only good for the 29th spot. "I really thought I had it (the #24 DuPont Monte Carlo)," said Gordon. But when I got in the corner the back end just came around. It was a horrible lap.

Mike Snow -- The Auto Channel