Posted on 09/26/2003 7:49:29 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Can Junior extend his winning streak? Talladega Superspeedway may say otherwise.
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Talladega Superspeedway is the biggest, fastest, most competitive motorsports facility in the world. Records for both speed and competition have been established at Talladega. Built at a cost of more than $4 million, the track opened as Alabama International Motor Speedway in 1969.
Track Facts
Banking/Turns: 33 degrees
Distance: 2.66 miles
Shape: Tri-oval
Starting Line-Up
| Pos. | |||||||
| 1 | #38 | Elliott Sadler | Ford | M&M's | 189.943 | 50.415 | Leader |
| 2 | #42 | Jamie McMurray* | Dodge | Havoline | 189.395 | 50.561 | -0.146 |
| 3 | #48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Lowe's | 189.189 | 50.616 | -0.201 |
| 4 | #40 | Sterling Marlin | Dodge | Coors Light | 189.137 | 50.630 | -0.215 |
| 5 | #24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | DuPont | 189.085 | 50.644 | -0.229 |
| 6 | #88 | Dale Jarrett | Ford | UPS | 189.070 | 50.648 | -0.233 |
| 7 | #49 | Ken Schrader | Dodge | BAM Racing | 189.029 | 50.659 | -0.244 |
| 8 | #41 | Casey Mears* | Dodge | Target | 188.660 | 50.758 | -0.343 |
| 9 | #9 | Bill Elliott | Dodge | Dodge Dealers | 188.641 | 50.763 | -0.348 |
| 10 | #18 | Bobby Labonte | Chevrolet | Interstate Batteries | 188.626 | 50.767 | -0.352 |
| 11 | #20 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Home Depot | 188.300 | 50.855 | -0.440 |
| 12 | #12 | Ryan Newman | Dodge | ALLTEL | 188.285 | 50.859 | -0.444 |
| 13 | #43 | Jeff Green | Dodge | Cheerios | 188.259 | 50.866 | -0.451 |
| 14 | #5 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet | Kellogg's/got milk? | 188.171 | 50.890 | -0.475 |
| 15 | #6 | Mark Martin | Ford | Viagra | 188.160 | 50.893 | -0.478 |
| 16 | #00 | Buckshot Jones | Chevrolet | TBA | 188.137 | 50.899 | -0.484 |
| 17 | #32 | Ricky Craven | Pontiac | Tide | 188.134 | 50.900 | -0.485 |
| 18 | #15 | Michael Waltrip | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts | 188.074 | 50.916 | -0.501 |
| 19 | #23 | Kenny Wallace | Dodge | Stacker 2 | 188.038 | 50.926 | -0.511 |
| 20 | #22 | Ward Burton | Dodge | Caterpillar | 187.905 | 50.962 | -0.547 |
| 21 | #60 | David Green | Chevrolet | Haas Automation | 187.905 | 50.962 | -0.547 |
| 22 | #19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Dodge | Dodge Dealers | 187.838 | 50.980 | -0.565 |
| 23 | #09 | Mike Wallace | Dodge | Miccosukee Indian Gaming | 187.787 | 50.994 | -0.579 |
| 24 | #190 | John Andretti | Chevrolet | America Online | 187.776 | 50.997 | -0.582 |
| 25 | #198 | Jason Jarrett | Ford | TBA | 187.651 | 51.031 | -0.616 |
| 26 | #44 | Christian Fittipaldi | Dodge | Bugles | 187.643 | 51.033 | -0.618 |
| 27 | #25 | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | UAW/Delphi | 187.562 | 51.055 | -0.640 |
| 28 | #01 | Mike Skinner | Pontiac | U.S. Army | 187.555 | 51.057 | -0.642 |
| 29 | #74 | Tony Raines* | Chevrolet | Staff America | 187.522 | 51.066 | -0.651 |
| 30 | #29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service | 187.467 | 51.081 | -0.666 |
| 31 | #7 | Jimmy Spencer | Dodge | Sirius Satellite Radio | 187.394 | 51.101 | -0.686 |
| 32 | #1 | Jason Keller | Chevrolet | Pennzoil | 187.361 | 51.110 | -0.695 |
| 33 | #21 | Ricky Rudd | Ford | Motorcraft Quality Parts | 187.247 | 51.141 | -0.726 |
| 34 | #2 | Rusty Wallace | Dodge | Miller Lite | 187.068 | 51.190 | -0.775 |
| 35 | #31 | Robby Gordon | Chevrolet | Cingular Wireless | 187.013 | 51.205 | -0.790 |
| 36 | #14 | Larry Foyt* | Dodge | Harrah's | 186.893 | 51.238 | -0.823 |
| Provisional | |||||||
| 37 | #17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | DeWalt Power Tools | 185.913 | 51.508 | -1.093 |
| 38 | #8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | Budweiser | 188.382 | 50.833 | -0.418 |
| 39 | #97 | Kurt Busch | Ford | Rubbermaid | 186.112 | 51.453 | -1.038 |
| 40 | #99 | Jeff Burton | Ford | CITGO | 185.625 | 51.588 | -1.173 |
| 41 | #16 | Greg Biffle* | Ford | Grainger | 186.765 | 51.273 | -0.858 |
| 42 | #10 | Johnny Benson | Pontiac | Valvoline | 186.325 | 51.394 | -0.979 |
| 43 | #77 | Dave Blaney | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions | 186.104 | 51.455 | -1.040 |
| Did not Qualify | |||||||
| 44 | #45 | Kyle Petty | Dodge | Georgia Pacific | 186.507 | 51.344 | -0.929 |
| 45 | #4 | Kevin Lepage | Pontiac | Kodak | 186.260 | 51.412 | -0.997 |
| 46 | #0 | Jason Leffler | Pontiac | NetZero HiSpeed | 186.184 | 51.433 | -1.018 |
| 47 | #180 | Mike Bliss | Chevrolet | Advair | 185.819 | 51.534 | -1.119 |
| 48 | #30 | Steve Park | Chevrolet | America Online | 185.743 | 51.555 | -1.140 |
| 49 | #154 | Todd Bodine | Ford | National Guard | 185.484 | 51.627 | -1.212 |
 |
| * Denotes Rookie |
Junior crash may have been hardest to date
Mayfield, Stewart fined $5,000 for language
Sadler captures Bud Pole at Talladega
Elliott Sadler captured the Bud Pole on Friday for Sunday's EA SPORTS 500 at Talladega. It's Sadler's first Bud Pole since the spring race at Darlington. Jamie McMurray qualified second and Jimmie Johnson was third.
Earnhardt, who has won a record four straight Winston Cup races at the high-banked Alabama trioval, was set to start 10th in Sunday's EA Sports 500. Then his No. 8 Chevrolet didn't get by the inspectors, who discovered the right quarter-panel was too low.
"A clear violation," NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said. Earnhardt's time was disallowed and he had to take a provisional spot in the 43-car field. He'll start among the back-markers in 38th.
It was another setback for Junior, who hobbled into Talladega still feeling the effects of a rather benign-looking crash near the end of last weekend's race at Dover. He severely sprained his right foot, lapsed into unconsciousness with a mild concussion and wound up dropping from second to fourth in the Winston Cup standings. Not to worry.
"I'm good to go," Earnhardt said. "Sharp as a tack."
Earnhardt wasn't the only big name to take a provisional.
Matt Kenseth, who has a huge lead in the point standings, will start alongside Junior in 37th after a plodding run of 185.913 mph, which placed him 43rd out of the 49 cars that attempted to qualify.
Matt Kenseth was forced to use a provisional and will start 37th. Credit: Autostock Tony Eury, Earnhardt's crew chief, took the blame for sending out his driver in an illegal car.
"This is restrictor-plate racing, and you have to get everything you can get," Eury said. "We were just a little too low."
Like his father before him, Earnhardt is the undisputed king of this style of racing. No matter where he starts, everyone expects him to quickly make his way up front.
"I'm sure he's the guy we have to beat," Sadler said. "He may have to take his time the first few laps. I know he doesn't like where he's starting. But we all know he'll be up there at the end of the race. He'll be the guy pulling the train. We just have to figure out how to get around him."
| Talladega Today |
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| 5 Day Forecast |
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| More Current Conditions |
| Feels Like: | 74 º | Dewpoint: | 64º | |
| Barometer: | 29.89 in and rising | Wind: | NNE 3 mph | |
| Humidity: | 71% | Sunrise: | 6:35 am | |
| Visibility: | Unlimited | Sunset: | 6:36 pm |
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