NCTS Qualifying at Gateway Int'l Raceway:Ted Musgrave Third Fastest; Bill Lester Top Rookie

Saturday, May 4, 2002		

TED MUSGRAVE (No. 1 Mopar Performance Parts Dodge Ram)
NOTE: Musgrave was the fastest qualifying Dodge Ram (Third - 34.775 sec,
129.403 mph)
	"It didn't feel too bad.  It's a little slick and it's hard to hook
these tires up.  They're a little hard but the more laps you run the better
they get.  But that's all we had.  That's the quickest first lap that we've
had all day long.  But they keep giving the incentives to all of these other
trucks, and not to Dodge, so we're going to have to do something - we'll
have to work a little harder.
	"It feels a little different out there compared to last year.  I
think the tires may be a different compound and sidewall configuration,
which throws a little curve to us right now.  But we'll get 'em in the long
run."

BRIAN ROSE (No. 4 Perry Connection Dodge Ram)
	"It was really greasy.  I believe we might have went up a little too
much on our air pressure, maybe closed 'em up too much.  We went up in the
corner and it was just real greasy, I couldn't get any left side grip.  We
just washed up the track.  You know, it's qualifying and you can't ease up.
You've got to hang in it and hopefully you don't tear down the wall that's
in front of you.  We'll be all right.  We've got the Perry Connection as our
new sponsor this weekend, so we're just going to get into the starting field
and work on it in happy hour.  Our Dodge is a great race truck.  It's a lot
better than a lot of these other people out here.

BILL LESTER (No. 8 Dodge Motorsports Dodge Ram)
NOTE:  Lester was the day's fastest qualifying rookie (12th - 35.309 sec.,
127.446 mph)
	"Well it feels good to get it under my belt.  We were really good
yesterday in testing, and we're kind of chasing our tails a little bit
today.  But we ran just as fast, if not a little faster, than we have all
through the day.  So we can't be unhappy with that.  The guys worked really
hard.  They've given me a good Dodge to be in today - it didn't do anything
that it wasn't supposed to do.  It was probably the best it's been. We're
still a few tenths off from where we'd really like to be.  But the important
thing is the race.  As long as we start out good and solid, and work our way
through there and finish, we'll be happy.
	"The real test is whether or not we make it through happy hour.
Last time I was at Gateway I got as far as happy hour before the wheel fell
off.  So yeah, I'm feeling really good about this time around."

ANGIE WILSON (No. 81 TotalRaceBabe.com Dodge Ram)
	"Well, considering it was our fastest lap of the day, I was pretty
pleased.  Coming to a new track with new equipment and a new crew, we'll
take it.  Our goal was just to make the race, so hopefully we'll be able to
do it with that time.

ROBERT PRESSLEY (No. 18 Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge Ram)
	"Well that's about as good as we've been.  I thought we'd pick up a
little more, but we just about wrecked in turn one and two, and didn't get a
good lap in through there.  I think after the other cars run, we're going to
struggle the first 15-20 of these trucks that go out.  I think we're going
to see these times pick up.  But we're pretty happy with that, it got us in
the race and we're not going to have to sweat those provisionals any more
this year."

CARLOS CONTRERAS (No. 43 Hot Wheels Dodge Ram)
	"We were just a little bit loose.  This track has two different
turns like Darlington, but flat.  The truck was tight in turn one, and loose
off in turn three in four.  It's a tough track, but I like it here.  It's
like a road course where you need to shift. But I feel great, and I don't
care too much about qualifying, we have a good truck for tomorrow.  I feel
like we can win this race."

JASON LEFFLER (No. 2 Team ASE/CARQUEST Dodge Ram)
	"The Team ASE/CARQUEST Dodge was good.  I just drove into the corner
a little too hard and we lost a quite a bit of time in there.  I'm surprised
the lap held up as good as it did.  It shows you how good our Dodge is.  I
just got a little bit anxious for qualifying.  Turns one and two are pretty
to over-drive.  But we're looking forward to the race."

BRENDAN GAUGHAN (No. 62 NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Ram)
	"We were great in practice today, but somehow we've managed to
slowly step on ourselves.  We knew this was going to be a tough track, but
we've been here before.  We're seeing the same things that the other Dodge
guys are talking about.  You get a little tight in one our two and then it
kind of snaps loose on you coming out.  Guys have been saying they're a
little free three in four.  Actually, I'm perfect in turns three and four.
It's just one and two that we're struggling on.  It makes it tough.  I wish
we'd be a little bit better in qualifying, but that's all right.  We know
we've got a really good Dodge for the race."