NASCAR WCUP: Gordon Races To Virginia 500 Pole Victory
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
April 6, 2001
MARTINSVILLE, VA. – Jeff Gordon has a sterling race-day record at Martinsville Speedway.
Qualifying is a different story, though. In 16 trips to Martinsville, Gordon has three victories, but until Friday, his 17th visit to the .526-mile track, he had only one pole position.
And that’s why Gordon and his crew erupted in an unusual display of emotion Friday afternoon after winning the pole for Sunday’s Virginia 500 Winston Cup race at Martinsville Speedway.
“This is a very difficult place to win poles and it’s probably the most important place to win a pole,” said Gordon. “There’s nothing like having the number-one pit stall here.”
Gordon turned in a fast speed of 94.087 miles per hour in a Chevrolet to capture his second pole of the season. His lap of 20.126 seconds was just a bit quicker than Rusty Wallace, who had a lap of 20.146 or 93.994 mph to nail down the second starting spot in a Ford.
Rounding out the top five qualifiers for Sunday’s Virginia 500 are a trio of Ford drivers: Jeff Burton, Ricky Rudd and Robert Pressley.
“I’m really happy to get second, especially if I can’t get first,” said Wallace, who leads all active drivers with six victories at Martinsville. “We didn’t have a great morning (of practice) but the car did what it was supposed to do in qualifying.”
Winston Cup points leader Dale Jarrett qualified 13th in a Ford while Johnny Benson, third in the points, qualified back in 26th.
Defending Virginia 500 champion Mark Martin qualified 36th.
Veteran Joe Ruttman picked up his second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pole of the season when he qualified first for Sunday’s Advance Auto Parts 250. Ruttman’s speed of 92.411 mph edged out series’ points leader Scott Riggs, who qualified second at 92.299 mph.
“This really isn’t foreign territory for me here at Martinsville, but really,
I didn’t think I had a legitimate shot at the pole,” said Ruttman, who tied Mike Skinner for the most career poles in the NCTS with15. “Bobby (Hamilton) was kinda just laying the weeds playing, and Ted(Musgrave) was awfully good in practice.
It was Ruttman’s second pole of the season. His first came in the season-opening Florida Dodge Dealers 250 at Daytona International Raceway, a race he went on to win.
Rounding out the top five in qualifying were Bobby Hamilton, the race’s defending champion, in third, Ted Musgrave, who has two race wins this season, in fourth, and Billy Bigley in fifth.
Text provided by Mike Smith
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