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Posted on 02/13/2003 9:45:36 AM PST by NormsRevenge
For the cubically impaired motorheads. A Pre-Valentine Day Love Fest from Daytona Beach
It's almost Q1 and then Q2 race time.
FX has it all Live!!!
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Rusty Wallace needs to find some speed, Jimmy Spencer wants some luck, and rookie Larry Foyt is looking for a near-miracle.
There's a lot to lose and not that much to gain Thursday in the twin 125-mile qualifying races.
Great runs get a driver a good starting spot in Sunday's season-opening Daytona 500. A poor race in the qualifying event could get a car sent home.
``We know we have to stay out of trouble and have a strong race to make the 500,'' Foyt said. ``We're going to need some luck on our side. Luckily I start behind Jeff Gordon, so I hope he can just pull me along.''
A victory in one of the two races gets the winner a spot in the second row for the start of the 500. In the 43 years the qualifiers have been run, only seven times has a driver won his qualifying race and then gone on to take the 500.
The late Dale Earnhardt was the last to do it in 1998.
``We're going to go and try to win the race,'' Kevin Harvick said. ``I think that's what we have to do. I think that's the only way to approach it.''
In Daytona's unique qualifying format, Jeff Green and Dale Earnhardt Jr. secured the front row starting spots in the 43-car lineup for the 500-miler by turning in the fastest speeds Monday in time trials.
Positions 3-30 will go to the top 14 finishers in the two qualifying races, excepting Green and Earnhardt.
The 31st through 36th spots will be filled by the fastest drivers from Monday's qualifying session who don't make it in the 125, with the remaining places going to the highest-finishing teams in last year's car-owner points that are not already in the Daytona 500 field.
``It can be intense,'' said Ricky Rudd, getting ready to race in his 26th consecutive Daytona 500 and an equal number of qualifying races. ``There are a lot of guys here where that race is the only race they're thinking about. They're not even thinking about the Daytona 500.
``If they don't do well in the 125s, they won't have a Daytona 500. Other guys, like us, we're pretty good in points and, with our qualifying speed, the race has a little different meaning to us.''
Spencer wrecked during the 125 last year and didn't make the Daytona 500. His season never got rolling after that disappointment, and he lost his job with Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of the year.
Preview | Qualifying Speed | News | Results
| Starting Grid | |||
| Order | Driver (No.) | Car | Qualifying Speed |
| 1 | Jeff Green (30) | Chevrolet | 186.606 mph |
| 2 | Robby Gordon (31) | Chevrolet | 185.927 mph |
| 3 | Ricky Rudd (21) | Ford | 185.372 mph |
| 4 | Dale Jarrett (88) | Ford | 184.957 mph |
| 5 | Sterling Marlin (40) | Dodge | 184.710 mph |
| 6 | Jamie McMurray (42) | Dodge | 184.502 mph |
| 7 | Joe Nemechek (25) | Chevrolet | 184.385 mph |
| 8 | Ricky Craven (32) | Pontiac | 184.362 mph |
| 9 | Steve Park (1) | Chevrolet | 184.320 mph |
| 10 | Ward Burton (22) | Dodge | 184.268 mph |
| 11 | Greg Biffle (16) | Ford | 184.117 mph |
| 12 | Casey Mears (41) | Dodge | 183.978 mph |
| 13 | Matt Kenseth (17) | Ford | 183.613 mph |
| 14 | Kenny Wallace (23) | Dodge | 183.490 mph |
| 15 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 183.221 mph |
| 16 | Johnny Benson (10) | Pontiac | 183.005 mph |
| 17 | Larry Foyt (14) | Dodge | 182.979 mph |
| 18 | Jimmy Spencer (7) | Dodge | 182.841 mph |
| 19 | Terry Labonte (5) | Chevrolet | 182.682 mph |
| 20 | David Green (60) | Chevrolet | 182.408 mph |
| 21 | Brett Bodine (11) | Ford | 182.267 mph |
| 22 | Mike Skinner (4) | Pontiac | 182.035 mph |
| 23 | Jeff Burton (99) | Ford | 181.360 mph |
| 24 | Derrike Cope (37) | Chevrolet | 180.669 mph |
| 25 | Mike Harmon (178) | Chevrolet | 177.368 mph |
Preview | Qualifying Speed | News | Results
| Starting Grid | |||
| Order | Driver (No.) | Car | Qualifying Speed |
| 1 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (8) | Chevrolet | 186.382 mph |
| 2 | Michael Waltrip (15) | Chevrolet | 185.460 mph |
| 3 | Kevin Harvick (29) | Chevrolet | 185.063 mph |
| 4 | Bobby Labonte (18) | Chevrolet | 184.942 mph |
| 5 | Kyle Petty (45) | Dodge | 184.668 mph |
| 6 | Bill Elliott (9) | Dodge | 184.438 mph |
| 7 | Mark Martin (6) | Ford | 184.373 mph |
| 8 | Jimmie Johnson (48) | Chevrolet | 184.320 mph |
| 9 | Jeremy Mayfield (19) | Dodge | 184.313 mph |
| 10 | Elliott Sadler (38) | Ford | 184.230 mph |
| 11 | Tony Raines (74) | Chevrolet | 184.027 mph |
| 12 | Christian Fittipaldi (33) | Chevrolet | 183.914 mph |
| 13 | Mike Wallace (09) | Dodge | 183.516 mph |
| 14 | Jack Sprague (0) | Pontiac | 183.400 mph |
| 15 | Kurt Busch (97) | Ford | 183.094 mph |
| 16 | Ryan Newman (12) | Dodge | 182.979 mph |
| 17 | Jerry Nadeau (01) | Pontiac | 182.908 mph |
| 18 | John Andretti (43) | Dodge | 182.841 mph |
| 19 | Todd Bodine (154) | Ford | 182.656 mph |
| 20 | Ken Schrader (49) | Dodge | 182.363 mph |
| 21 | Rusty Wallace (2) | Dodge | 182.171 mph |
| 22 | Dave Blaney (77) | Ford | 181.668 mph |
| 23 | Hermie Sadler (02) | Pontiac | 181.127 mph |
| 24 | Kirk Shelmerdine (90) | Ford | 179.083 mph |
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God bless America and her Armed Forces serving worldwide in the defense of FReedom and Liberty for all, even the twisted senators filibustering in the US Senate.
Only 50 lap races, but all drivers must make 1 pitstop.
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