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NASCAR WCUP: Watkins Glen Qualifying Notes, Wrap Up

15 August 1999

Bud Pole Winner: Rusty Wallace
Frontier @ the Glen
Watkins Glen International

* Rusty Wallace won the NASCAR Winston Cup Bud Pole Award for the Frontier @ the Glen, lapping the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen International road course in 72.752 seconds, at 121.234 mph. He broke Dale Earnhardts track-qualifying record of 73.054 seconds, at 120.733 mph, set in 1998.

* This is Wallaces 24th career NASCAR Winston Cup Bud Pole and came in his 479th start. His most recent Bud Pole occurred at Bristol in April, 14 races ago.

* This is Wallaces second career road-course Bud Pole. His other came at Sears Point in 1989, 313 races ago.

* This is Wallaces second Bud Pole and 11th top-10 qualifying effort of 1999. It is his first Bud Pole and his 11th start of eighth or better 14 races at Watkins Glen.

* Wallace became the third repeat Bud Pole winner in 1999. Jeff Gordon (seven) and Bobby Labonte (four) are the other multiple Bud Pole winners this season.

* Wallace became the fifth different Bud Pole winner in the last five races at Watkins Glen.

* Wallace ended Jeff Gordons streak of three straight road-course Bud Poles.

* Boris Said had the second-quickest time with a qualifying lap of 72.944 seconds, at 120.915 mph and will join Gordon on the front row for the Frontier @ the Glen. This is his first career NASCAR Winston Cup race. He drove in relief for Jimmy Spencer in this race last year, finishing 20th.

* This is the fourth Bud Pole for Ford in 1999. Chevrolet has 11 Bud Poles this season while Pontiac has five. Note: Qualifying was rained out at California.

* The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus is worth $10,000 to the winner of the Frontier @ the Glen should he also be the points leader after the race.

* Jeff Gordon (third) posted his 15th top-10 qualifying effort in 1999. It is his fifth top-five qualifying effort in seven races at Watkins Glen. Gordon remains the only driver to qualify in the first round in each of the qualifying sessions held this season.

* Tony Stewart (fourth) scored his 11th top-10 qualifying effort in 1999. Stewart qualified second and fourth in the two road-course races this season.

* Jerry Nadeau (fifth) posted his fourth top-10 qualifying effort in 1999. Nadeau has qualified fourth or better in three of the last four NASCAR Winston Cup road-course races.

* Four of the last six NASCAR Winston Cup races at Watkins Glen were won from the pole starting position: Mark Martin (1993-1995) and Jeff Gordon (1998). The other two were won from starting positions outside the top 10.

* The furthest back a winner has started in the 16-race history at Watkins Glen is 13th, which has occurred twice: Rusty Wallace (1989) and Geoffrey Bodine (1996).

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