40 and 41 Martinsville qualifying report

Contact:  Nealie Hamilton, Chip Ganassi Racing, 704/662-9642, nhamilton@ganassi.com
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       April 12, 2002
 
 
STERLING MARLIN / JIMMY SPENCER
CHIP GANASSI RACING WITH FELIX SABATES
VIRGINIA 500 QUALIFYING RESULTS
 
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (April 12, 2002) - The No. 40 Coors Light and No. 41 Target teams of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates secured top-30 qualifying times during Friday's qualifying for the Virginia 500 at Martinsville Speedway.  
 
Jimmy Spencer, driver of the No. 41 Target Dodge Intrepid R/T, qualified ninth fastest with a time of 20.204 (93.724 mph).  Spencer's best finish at Martinsville Speedway is third and came in 1993.  
 
"It was a good lap, but I really slowed the car down way too much," Spencer said.  "It was my fault.  I just got in the corners and stopped it really.  I thought we had a good chance to sit on the pole.  It's a great racecar, but I've just got a bad habit here at Martinsville.  I kind of slow down in the corners and get back in the throttle real quick.  We'll have a good racecar.  We tested at Greenville-Pickens and it ran well on long runs.  Hopefully, it'll hang around the front."
 
Sterling Marlin, driver of the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge Intrepid R/T, will start 29th on the grid for Sunday's event.  His lap speed was scored at 20.343 seconds (93.084 mph).  Marlin was 11th fastest in practice prior to qualifying.
 
"We put on another set of tires for qualifying, and that's the only think I know that we did different," Marlin said.  "The lap felt like it was a tenth quicker than practice, but it was 15 hundredths slower.  We're scratching our heads."
 
The Virginia 500 from Martinsville Speedway will be broadcast on FX on Sunday, April 14 at 1 p.m., e.d.t.  
 
###