Team Monte Carlo Qualifying Notes - Rockingham, Feb. 22

Jerry Nadeau set the pace for Team Monte Carlo by qualifying fifth for
Sunday's Subway 400 at North Carolina Speedway.  Jimmie Johnson, who was
last weeks pole-sitter for the Daytona 500, earned an 11th place starting
position and posted the fastest time for a rookie. The following are
comments from the top Chevrolet drivers:

TEAM MONTE CARLO Contact: Nancy Wager
Subway 400 Qualifying GM Racing Communications
Friday, February 22, 2002 nmwager@aol.com
North Carolina Speedway
Page 1

Jerry Nadeau, No. 25 UAW-GM Chevrolet Monte Carlo -qualified 5th: "Well,
it's kind of disappointing to qualify fifth and not have anyone near us.
The closest Chevrolet to us was Kenny Wallace and he qualified 9th. I think
what happened is that this track really got worn out. And now it looks like
the Dodges and Fords have more downforce than we have, and they're starting
to come in on a track like this. So I think we're lacking.  I think we're
lacking in downforce, no doubt.  But, I've got to say that the guys did a
super job because we were not a threat at all in practice. We were around
25th. I got a good lap.  I got a very good lap and I'm pleased with that.
The guys did a very good job on the car. This is the same Chevrolet that we
finished fifth here in the fall.  So, I know I'm going to have a good car in
the race.  It's just a matter of if we can beat those Dodges and Fords
because right now it looks like they're pretty quick."

Kenny Wallace, No 1 Pennzoil Chevrolet Monte Carlo - qualified 9th: "Like
everybody, his Pennzoil team worked awful hard.  We changed a lot of stuff.
This car has been up front the whole time (Steve Park is the defending
champion of this race and Kenny Wallace finished second with it here last
fall). It's a different situation here, you know. The car is not exactly the
way it was, but it's still fast. I wasn't real happy before qualifying.
Paul Andrews made some adjustments. We were pushing all morning long and
then it got loose. We were really worried about qualifying.  So to be ninth
will be a good start.  We just want to get up there early and win this
thing."

Bobby Hamilton, No. 55 Schneider Electric Chevrolet Monte Carlo - qualified
10th: "I'm pretty happy. This is the car that Joe Nemechek ran here last
year.  He qualified 13th, I qualified 10th. The car I had here last year
qualified sixth. So I'm right in my range.  I'm okay. I like the racing on
this track. I'm sure this one-engine rule is going to catch a few people off
guard.  There's no doubt that Robert Yates has always had good engines. I
always felt that if it came down to qualifying and racing with the same
engine, that his stuff would shine.  When race time comes and motors don't
make any difference, the Chevrolets will prevail again. They'll be awfully
good, I think."

Jeff Green, No. 30 AOL Chevrolet Monte Carlo - qualified 15th and won the
pole for Saturday's Busch race in the No. 21 Rockwell Chevrolet: "It was a
good run for our AOL Chevy. We got the pole in the Busch car so hopefully we
can stay somewhere around the top 10 or 12. It was still a good run for us.
We don't have any points yet. So
TEAM MONTE CARLO Contact: Nancy Wager
Subway 400 Qualifying GM Racing Communications
Friday, February 22, 2002 nmwager@aol.com
North Carolina Speedway
Page 2

we have to be a little bit careful about what we do to make sure we get in
these things. These guys did a great job for us today. Tracks like this are
basically my style. It's who uses the track and his head the best will win
these races."

Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet Monte Carlo - qualifies 11th -
fastest qualifying rookie: "We're just working real hard to be smooth and
consistent. I just put two good laps together and the guys gave me an
awesome car. I've still got to earn my keep.  There is still a lot for me to
learn but it's awesome to sit in such great equipment from Hendrick
Motorsports.  I've got a lot to learn. But we fought it a little bit. We
didn't unload as fast as we thought we were going to. We had to work on the
car a little.  It's frustrating wondering if the changes are going to work
with the tires, or not. Everything worked out pretty good.

"I'm very happy.  We tested here and we ran in the sixties so ideally we
thought we could get back to that speed.  But with the NASCAR clock ticking
and all the pressure on, I'm very happy with the entire team and all the
support Lowe's has given us.  Two down, two to go (making the field without
provisionals)."

Jimmie Johnson visits with the media after qualifying:
"We tested here and knew we had a set-up that fit my driving style. We chose
to follow how the No. 24 car was set-up. In practice, we were decent but we
felt another package had a little bit more to it. We had tested here with it
and so we decided to put it in and see if we could do any better. The way
the tires fall off here, it was hard to know if it made it better or not.
The track conditions were very similar with the temperature and all. So we
tried it and the car was really good. I was conservative on my first lap. I
wanted to make sure I had had a starting spot in this race. We stepped it up
for the second lap.

(After winning the pole for the Daytona 500, did you have any aspirations of
back-to-back poles?) "Realistically, no. Daytona was everything to do with
Chad Knaus (crew chief) and Hendrick Motorsports and that whole No. 48 team.
I'm very happy with the qualifying effort here. The driver plays a much
bigger part in how the car performs at all these other tracks outside of
superspeedways. So it makes me feel better about my abilities in the start
of the season. We'll get some more experience tomorrow and I'm excited about
the race."
TEAM MONTE CARLO Contact: Nancy Wager
Subway 400 Qualifying GM Racing Communications
Friday, February 22, 2002 nmwager@aol.com
North Carolina Speedway
Page 3


(What is the culture shock been like with the media between the Busch Series
and the Winston Cup Series) "It's an amazing difference just to put Winston
Cup in front of your name instead of Busch Grand National driver. It makes a
 huge difference. There's been a big change since Daytona. There was a lot
of excitement there. You can't even walk down pit road to your racecar
without a sea of people. It's a lot different and it actually adds a lot of
stress and pressure to you because you can feel want you for autographs and
photos and all. You want to be nice to everyone, but at the same time you
need to get in that racecar and do your job. It's really hard to stay
focused. It seems like the fans and the media give you some space and I've
been appreciative of that. I'm looking forward to walking out to pit road
and hopping in the car and put the window net up and my helmet on and just
sit there to have some time to myself to drive a lap and get recalibrated
and back to the racing."

Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet Monte Carlo - qualified 33rd: "We made
some calls and went out there and felt really good about the track.
Obviously it had picked up. So you're pushing it for everything you can and
I got real tight and that really hurt us."

Michael Waltrip, No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet Monte Carlo -- qualified 26th:  "We
were tight in the corners and just couldn't get it to free-up more."

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 GM Goodwrench Service Chevrolet Monte Carlo -
qualified 34th: "We're obviously not pleased with that. But we're in the
race and I'm sure we'll be fine."

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