dodge craftsman truck series qualifying from dover; musgrave 2nd, leffler 3rd

Thursday, May 30, 2002					              Ray Cooper
Dodge notes and quotes.				                            Golin/Harris International
MBNA America
     BRIAN ROSE (No. 4 Perry Connection Dodge Ram)
     "We ran so much better in the second practice. This is kind of frustrating. The track might have got a little greasier, but we didn't change anything. We went out there exactly the same as we'd practiced. It was snug before, and we went out for qualifying and it was a little bit free. We were trying to push the envelope a little bit trying to hang it out and get a good lap. We saw the times were a little bit slower than practice. We were really trying to get a good lap in and just weren't fortunate enough to do it. We were free off four, and we had to save the truck for the race. I like this track. It reminds me of the old fairgrounds speedway in Nashville. I grew up there, and I like this banked stuff. The crew has worked hard all week to prepare this truck. It's the same truck I ran at Darlington. I'm really proud of everything they're doing to the truck to get it to the track so we can compete competitively. We won't have the best starting position, so we'll just have to race good. We've been consistent enough to finish decent. It's good to get those finishes when you know times aren't at their best. We'll keep digging and see what happens."

     JASON LEFFLER (No. 2 Team ASE Racing Dodge Ram)
     "It handled pretty good, but we're just struggling somewhere today. We've been struggling since we got started. It might end up somewhere in the top five, but it's kind of disappointing. There's no reason we should have slowed up. It feels like maybe we don't have quite the horse under the hood we had the past few weeks."

     ANGIE WILSON (No. 81 TotalRaceBabe.com Dodge Ram)
     "I'm pretty pleased with that lap. Being a rookie at a new track, and we only got about 30 laps of practice, so I don't know where we'll end up. We were a little faster in practiced, so I'm a little disappointed in that angle, but I guess the last lap is the one that matters. We need to make the field and then worry about the last lap. Everybody is slipping and sliding off turn four. We slowed down, but my truck tightened up a little bit. We're hanging in there. This is just part of learning, so I'm satisfied with it. It's a little intimidating. My favorite track is Bristol, and this place kind of reminds me of a big Bristol. So if we run well here, it might be my new favorite track."
 
     BRENDAN GAUGHAN (No. 62 NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Ram)
     "We've been struggling in qualifying all year. We took four tenths off our last practice lap. This is our first time here, and I knew the truck was going to work great. We went on stickers and it took off. I like this track. Everybody said Darlington was intimidating. I think we should have three races there. Everybody warned me about this place, too. It's very fast, but it's a driver's track, and that's the kind of track I like."

    CARLOS CONTRERAS (No. 43 Hot Wheels Dodge Ram)
    "The track was slick. My truck was too loose the first lap. I knew my first lap was no good. I tried harder the second lap, and it was loose in one and two, but I saved it. I was thinking three and four wouldn't be a problem. I lost the truck in the exit of turn four. I tried to fix. The first time I fixed it, but not the second time. It hit hard, but I'm OK. I am the iron man. I'm very sad for my team. We had a very good piece. We need to work hard for tomorrow. I'm upset for my team, not for me."

    ROBERT PRESSLEY (No. 18 Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge Ram)
    "That was the worse lap we've run today. We didn't run that slow when we first unloaded. I didn't think we changed anything, but this is the first time at Dover I've seen these things get loose. We missed it a little bit. The first lap was a .20 when we unloaded, and we had been below a .25 and we qualified with a .43. We'll be good in the race, but we had so much more for qualifying."

    TED MUSGRAVE (No. 1 Mopar Performance Dodge Ram)
     "I wish we could have qualified on the pole, but that's another front row start. All year long, in six races, I haven't qualified out of the top three. It's decent. We ran decent in practice. We put stickers on for qualifying and got tremendously loose. We had our truck set up for the race pace. I want to win the race. We just missed the pole by a little bit, but it's going to be awesome for the race.
     "It's good to start up front. A two-car accident can turn into a 20-car accident here, so starting up front could help you avoid that. We had a good run here in the Cup Series a few years ago. I ran out of gas with about 40 laps to go and still finished third. Kyle Petty won the race and Bobby Labonte and I were fighting for second. All three of us were within about 10 car lengths, so it was a pretty neat deal. I really like racing at Dover. We'll see if we can't get it turned back around tomorrow."

    BILL LESTER (No. 8 Dodge Motorsports Dodge Rams)
    "We were too free coming off turn four, and that was a surprise to all of us. We made a last-minute change and took two pounds of air out of the right rear. Maybe we should have dropped it four pounds because it was a handful. I'm glad we were able to bring it back in one piece. We're starting 22nd, so we'll look forward to a long race and try to get a good finish in."













    



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