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NASCAR BGN: All Pro Bumper to Bumper Qualifying Notes and Quotes

6 October 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Jimmie Johnson's comment regarding the teaming of Excedrin and Herzog Motorsports for 2001: "We're really excited to have Excedrin on board. I love red race cars. I've driven red off road race trucks for Herzog Motorsports in the past. We're real excited about having a red race car out there with Excedrin on it. It's a real blessing for us to have a major corporation involved with Herzog Motorsports. You know, we're 10th in points, a rookie team, and a rookie driver. And to be able to attract somebody that's been on a car that's won some races this year (Jason Keller, No. 57 Monte Carlo) makes us feel really good about their involvement with the team. We're looking forward to having a real good season in 2001.

Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Visine Chevrolet Monte Carlo (Pole Sitter): "The Visine Chevy was pretty fast off the trailer. Qualifying's usually our weak suit, but it was a really good lap for us. It's been really quick. This is the same car we won with in Dover and ran so well with. I'm looking forward to this race on Saturday. I don't think the weather made much difference. It might have slowed us down a little bit from this morning, but it was still good enough to sit on the pole. Mark Martin is going to be mean. We're going to have our work cut out for us to try to beat him and the other Cup guys that are going to run good too. We're going to work real hard on our race set-up tomorrow that hopefully can run with them and put us in position to win this thing."

Dick Trickle, No. 5 Schneider National Chevrolet Monte Carlo (Qualified 2nd): "We were second quick to Kenseth in practice, and now were second to him in qualifying. I've just got a crew right now that's real fluent. We got Dan Glauz as a new crew chief and he's really working with me well. All the guys in my crew are going the extra mile and are really itching to get some better runs in. We'd like to see this Schneider Chevy get some top five runs and go for a win here. The car made as good a lap as it could. You know, going out a couple hours later in the sun and all, I think we did a terrific job. I told the guys we'd have to start over 'cause the car made as good a lap as it could. I wouldn't know what else to do to make it any better or any faster. It handled terrifically. Made a great lap. We've run this car here before and at Atlanta, and it has been one of our favorite cars. We chose this car 'cause it's been a little better to us. I like the body on it, you know the aero package. So with a little fine-tuning, here we are."

Ricky Hendrick, No. 24 GMAC Chevrolet Monte Carlo (Qualified 3rd): "The run was great. It was smooth. It was just like driving a Cadillac out there. This is my best qualifying run ever. We ran faster than Jeff Gordon did with this team. It really says a lot for these guys. We had a couple bumps in the road there about mid-season and the guys came back and gave me an awesome car. It makes my job real easy when all I got to do is just drive it down and get back on the gas and drive it off. Hopefully we'll have a good run. I'm running the same car that Jeff (Gordon) ran in the May race when he finished 5th, I think. Running in the ARCA race last night helped. All the seat time you can get here helps. This is the first time I've ever qualified for Charlotte in a Busch car. We're pleased. The team's pleased. Even on long runs, this car is good. Could be a top five car."

Jeff Gordon comment: "You know, they've changed the car and we're constantly trying to improve the stuff and that's faster than I ever ran in this thing. He's doing a good job."

Joe Nemechek, No. 87 Cellular One Chevrolet Monte Carlo (Qualified 5th): "I thought we'd run as fast as we were going to run in practice, but we picked-up a little bit. You know, we used to sit on the pole here all the time. Well, at least we used to sit on the front in first or second. The last couple races, we've struggled a little bit. Had a good test. This is a brand new car. I think we're going to be in good shape for the race."

Kevin Harvick, No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "My warm-up lap was terrible. For some reason, we didn't get up to speed like we'd like. Other than that, it was real good. Much better than last time, that's for sure. We had to take a provisional. Our car drove pretty much the same as we ran in practice - other than the warm-up lap."

Michael Waltrip, No. 7 Band-Aid Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "We pushed off of turn four. I pushed off turn four here in the spring, too. I knew all morning long, I was a little too tight. But not knowing the track was going to get hotter, I thought my car would free-up some, but it just didn't. It stayed about the same. I had a real good lap until then. I'm real pleased with the way the car's been running. It's been solidly in the top ten all day. This is the car we finished second with in Michigan."

Kevin Grubb, No. 37 Timber Wolf Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "This was a good run for us. I think we brought the right car. We ran it in Michigan and at Atlanta. This is the first time we've actually qualified decent here. We normally start like 30th or something, and end up racing real good."

Jeff Green, No. 10 NesQuik Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "I hate qualifying here. I love racing here, but I hate qualifying. I think this whole track's slowed down just a little bit. It just got hotter. But this NesQuick Chevy is awesome. But this is about the best I've ever been here. We always race good here, but I seem to struggle qualifying here."

Casey Atwood, No. 27 Castrol Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "We've had a lot of luck qualifying here. This is a new car for us, we've only run it one time. We tested here and it handled great. It was a little bit off on our one-lap run for qualifying. We really picked that up. We think we've really got a lot better car for the race. We think we're in for a top-ten, top-five finish. We've never had a car that would do what we needed to do in one lap. We've never had a car that would get up to speed. This track reacts so much different than other places from the cold to the hot here. I've never really run a race here when it's been cool. It's always been hot and sunny. If the weather changes and it gets cold on race day, it'll be the same for everybody. Whoever adjusts their car better will win the race."

"Mike Skinner, No. 15 Albertsons Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "This Albertsons Chevrolet really, really had a shot at this thing (the pole). When I saw what the (No.) 17 run, I thought that's achievable. We can get there. I know Mark (Martin) is going to be good and a two or three others will be good. But we had to go for it and we did. We nailed it through (turns) one and two perfect. We sat on the pole here in '94, and I had exactly the same line through there. That left front was on the bottom coming off. And I thought we can do this again. I went in real deep down in (turns) three and four and got in the throttle and it was perfect. But it got across the bumps over there and just took off. I had to let completely off the gas over there. So I'm surprised it ran what it did. We'll take that and we'll race 'em from there. Charlotte has always been one of those places that when the sun is out, it's real loose. And then it gets tight. What I am seeing with this Goodyear Eagle that we've got right now is that the race track isn't changing balance as much as it's just changing grip. So if it cools off, I doubt the car is going to change balance, it's just going to get more grip."

Text Provided By Nancy Wager

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