NASCAR Winston Cup Brickyard 400: Pole Qualifying Quotes
31 July 1997
NASCAR Winston Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying Quotes Brickyard 400 Indianapolis Motor Speedway July 31, 1997 INDIANAPOLIS, IN RICH BICKLE (#26 KFC Team Twister Chevrolet Monte Carlo) - Qualified 10th - Was the first of 51 drivers to attempt take a qualifying run - "I think it's a disadvantage going out first but the track was slick. I pushed and I got a little bit loose off of (turn) two. I was hanging on. To come here and to run as good as we have the first time. I've got to thank Darrell Waltrip and the whole team for giving me this opportunity. The Kentucky Fried Chicken people came on board and we were fourth quickest in practice this morning. If we make the top twenty-five I'll be tickled to death because this is very hard to do." BICKLE WAS HEADED OVER TO INDIANAPOLIS RACEWAY PARK TO QUALIFY FOR THE NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES CUMMINS 200 BY INDIANA DODGE DEALERS. - "We went over there (IRP) to practice. We ran fast in practice so now I go back over there to practice again and we qualify tonight." JEFF GREEN (#29 Cartoon Channel Chevrolet Monte Carlo) - Did not qualify; 42nd fastest - "That wasn't good. I about spun out going to the green (flag). I about spun out in the corner. It's just a lot loose. I don't know if that set of tires just didn't agree with the track at this time or what. I'm pretty disappointed right now. I had a top-ten car I thought going into this deal, but now we're going to have to go again probably." BOBBY HAMILTON (#43 STP Pontiac Grand Prix) - Qualified 12th - "It's not a big surprise. Everybody stayed off of the track for about an hour or so. All the cars are slowing down a lot. That's a good enough time to get us in the top twenty-five. This thing's ready to race. That's the main thing." KEN SCHRADER (#33 Skoal Bandit Chevrolet Monte Carlo) - Qualified 8th - "We slowed up a little bit too much I think and didn't get a lap we were comfortable with. I missed the line a little bit in (turn) two. We lost a lot of time in two. I just didn't get it together." JEFF BURTON (#99 Exide Batteries Ford Thunderbird) - Did not qualify; 27th fastest - "It's a real shame. We've been real good all day. We just didn't guess right for the weather. We had a conversation about it. We just didn't make the right changes. I just had to hang on. I tried to run hard. It might have been better to try to run easy but I ran like I have all day and I just couldn't do it. STERLING MARLIN (#4 Kodak Gold Film Chevrolet Monte Carlo) - Qualified 13th - "It was a pretty good lap. We had a little bit left this morning. The guys really hadn't tuned on the motor that hard. They beat on it a little bit and the car got through the corners pretty good. We tightened up a little bit anticipating that the track was going to be a little bit slick. It drove pretty good. It was a just a little bit loose. We gave it all we had." MARK MARTIN (#6 Valvoline Ford Thunderbird) - Did not qualify; 26th fastest - "We haven't had it since we've been here. We've been racing really good wherever we go.