NASCAR WCUP: Chevy drivers comment on qualifying at Richmond
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
September 8, 2001Jeff Green, No. 30 AOL Chevrolet Monte Carlo (qualified 18th): "The track's just a little bit slick. Unfortunately, I got a bad draw and the sunshine has heated this asphalt up. The early guys are paying for it. It's just going to get faster and faster. When you've got a fast car, you just want to be up front where you need to be. We'll be all right. It's still good enough to get us in the show. It might keep us in the top 15 or so. That would be a good place to win this race from for the AOL Chevy."
Joe Nemechek, No. 33 Oakwood Homes Chevrolet Monte Carlo (qualified 11th): "I've got to say think you to all these guys on the Oakwood Homes Chevy. They've been working real hard. We've been coming on strong here lately. We're looking for a good run here at Richmond and we've run here good before. If we have a good starting spot, I think we can. We were really good in practice. The track hasn't seemed to change a whole bunch. On my second lap, I gave away a little bit of time. But we're doing pretty good."
Terry Labonte, No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet Monte Carlo (qualified 26th): "We really weren't that bad. I got in the wall there coming off of (turn) two. I thought I was going to have a pretty decent lap."
Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet Monte Carlo (qualified 8th): "I let off too early getting into (turn) one and it cost us a lot of time. I got through (turns) three and four pretty decent - maybe overdrove it trying to make up for it. But I had to do some promotional things between practice and qualifying and kind of got out of focus. It's hard to focus."
Kevin Harvick, No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo (qualified 22nd): "We've been struggling with the front grip on our car today. We struggled with qualifying last time (RIR in May) here too. We're in the race. We're not going to have to take a provisional, that's the main thing. We qualified better than we did last time. It's going to be a good weekend for this Goodwrench Taz car."
Text provided by Nancy Wager
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