Dodge Ram Qualifying notes from LMS

Thursday, May 20, 2004.
Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Infineon 200 Qualifying.
 

STEVE PARK (No. 62 Orleans Racing Dodge Ram) - Qualified 25th

"That was actually pretty good. The Orleans Dodge ran just about wide
open, and that's all you can ask for. We made changes right before
qualifying that worked out good. I took my left foot and stuck it under
the brake pedal so I wouldn't step on the brakes. I had the confidence
in the team. We had a truck that could run wide open, and we did. We had
a problem at Atlanta. We could run wide open, but we just couldn't get
the speed. It raced good at Atlanta, and it'll race good here. It's a
shame. All year long we've had trucks that are real fast. We've been
taken out by someone else's mistakes. We're getting tired of that. We
had a top five truck at Mansfield. We got taken out in somebody else's
wreck. We need a little luck. We know the truck and preparation is
there, so maybe this will be our week."

 

BOBBY HAMILTON (No. 4 Square D Dodge Ram) - Qualified Fifth

"We're good. It might be ugly for the rest of the competition. I know
Kevin will be good and Michael. All the guys who have a lot of time here
will be good. I'd say the four trucks in front of me are low drag trucks
and they won't race all that good. This is the same truck we won with at
Atlanta, so I wouldn't be surprised if you see another finish like that
tomorrow night. We didn't work on anything in practice except race
setup. I think we're ready."

 

ANDY HOUSTON (No. 2 Team ASE/Carquest Dodge Ram) - Qualified 21st

"We were tight. I spun out on my sticker run in practice, and we just
over compensated for it. The track got a lot better, and we tightened up
too much. I was too loose at the end of practice, and it just ended up
being too tight. I know we've got a pretty good truck. We've been fast
since we've been here. I think we'll race good. We've got the speed, but
we haven't been able to put it together yet. Tomorrow night is the big
show. This is just a place to start. We'll work on getting the truck to
turn and draft good. We'll try to get the balance real good for the
race."

 

MARK McFARLAND (No. 59 Harris Trucking Dodge Ram) - Provisional, starts
34th

"That's the best the truck has felt since we've been here, so we're
going the right way. It takes awhile to get used to the track. It might
have taken a little longer here than I expected. Just getting used to
the track is probably the biggest thing I need to do. We've got Happy
Hour to get it figured out. Hopefully, we'll be better for the race."

 

CHAD CHAFFIN (No. 18 Dickies Dodge Ram) - Qualified 10th 

"That was a good lap. The guys did a great job with the truck. I'm not
going to get too excited. We'll just wait and see how it stacks up.
It'll be in the top 10. The Arrington Motors are just fantastic. That
thing has all kind of horsepower. Everybody at BHR is doing a great job,
and we got in a pretty good lap. Now we'll get ready to race."

 

TED MUSGRAVE (No. 1 Mopar Performance Dodge) - Qualified 15th

"We picked up from practice, and the racetrack might have picked up a
little bit, too, because it's cooled down. That might have got us back
to the .70s instead of the .90s. This track is more of a race truck.
It's got some drag on it and some downforce. We weren't really expecting
to be lightning fast, but like last year, we should be nice and steady
in the race. I guess being the defending race champion means I must have
done something right here last year. Really, we're back to square one.
The bodies are completely different this year. They've made big changes
throughout NASCAR. Everything is pretty much different, but it's the
same old Charlotte. You come to this place and no matter what they do to
these trucks, it's still Charlotte. I like this place. Getting in the
race pace and getting this Dodge Ram to handle will be the key. I think
this truck will be capable of winning the race. It might not be the
fastest in qualifying, but I honestly think it'll race decent."