Ricky Rudd fended off a host of strong Chevrolets at Talladega on Friday to take the Bud Pole for Sunday's Aaron's 499. His fast lap of 191.180 mph earned Wood Brothers Racing its first Bud Pole since 1984.

1 #21 Ricky Rudd Ford Motorcraft/U.S. Air Force 191.180 50.089 Leader
2 #15 Michael Waltrip Chevrolet NAPA Auto Parts 190.974 50.143 -0.054
3 #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 190.336 50.311 -0.222
4 #01 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet U.S. Army 190.109 50.371 -0.282
5 #10 Scott Riggs* Chevrolet Valvoline 190.019 50.395 -0.306
6 #6 Mark Martin Ford Viagra 189.906 50.425 -0.336
7 #88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS 189.872 50.434 -0.345
8 #48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 189.661 50.490 -0.401
9 #40 Sterling Marlin Dodge Coors Light/Kentucky Derby 189.522 50.527 -0.438
10 #0 Ward Burton Chevrolet NetZero HiSpeed 189.406 50.558 -0.469
11 #24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont/Pepsi 189.395 50.561 -0.472
12 #38 Elliott Sadler Ford M&M's 189.253 50.599 -0.510
13 #5 Terry Labonte Chevrolet Kellogg's 189.230 50.605 -0.516
14 #29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet GM Goodwrench 189.182 50.618 -0.529
15 #43 Jeff Green Dodge Cheerios/Betty Crocker 189.103 50.639 -0.550
16 #41 Casey Mears Dodge Target 189.085 50.644 -0.555
17 #12 Ryan Newman Dodge ALLTEL 188.969 50.675 -0.586
18 #16 Greg Biffle Ford National Guard/Subway 188.913 50.690 -0.601
19 #18 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet Wellbutrin XL 188.857 50.705 -0.616
20 #77 Brendan Gaughan* Dodge Kodak EasyShare 188.775 50.727 -0.638
21 #31 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 188.708 50.745 -0.656
22 #97 Kurt Busch Ford Sharpie/IRWIN Industrial Tools 188.675 50.754 -0.665
23 #4 Jimmy Spencer Chevrolet Morgan-McClure 188.641 50.763 -0.674
24 #32 Ricky Craven Chevrolet Tide 188.586 50.778 -0.689
25 #99 Jeff Burton Ford Roundup FastAct 188.574 50.781 -0.692
26 #9 Kasey Kahne* Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 188.545 50.789 -0.700
27 #100 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet Aaron's 188.515 50.797 -0.708
28 #45 Kyle Petty Dodge Georgia Pacific/Brawny 188.430 50.820 -0.731
29 #30 Johnny Sauter* Chevrolet America Online 188.300 50.855 -0.766
30 #22 Scott Wimmer* Dodge Caterpillar 188.285 50.859 -0.770
31 #17 Matt Kenseth Ford DeWalt Power Tools 188.270 50.863 -0.774
32 #2 Rusty Wallace Dodge Miller Lite 188.270 50.863 -0.774
33 #42 Jamie McMurray Dodge Texaco/Havoline 188.215 50.878 -0.789
34 #09 Johnny Benson Dodge Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts 188.148 50.896 -0.807
35 #04 Eric McClure Chevrolet 77sports.com/I CAN Learn 188.019 50.931 -0.842
36 #133 Kerry Earnhardt Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops 187.927 50.956 -0.867
37 #20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Home Depot 187.912 50.960 -0.871
38 #19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 187.838 50.980 -0.891

Provisional
39 #25 Brian Vickers* Chevrolet GMAC Financial Services 187.728 51.010 -0.921
40 #49 Ken Schrader Dodge Schwan's Home Service 187.386 51.103 -1.014
41 #50 Derrike Cope Dodge Arnold Development Companies 187.042 51.197 -1.108
42 #23 Dave Blaney Dodge Bill Davis Racing 187.291 51.129 -1.040
43 #89 Morgan Shepherd Dodge Voyles/Carter's Royal Dispos-all 183.055 52.312 -2.223

Did not Qualify
44 #14 Larry Foyt Dodge A.J. Foyt Racing 186.050 51.470 -1.381
45 #198 Todd Bodine Ford Lucas Oil Products 181.408 52.787 -2.698
46 #172 Kirk Shelmerdine Ford 2nd Chance Race Parts - - -

* Denotes Rookie

redriderbob

 

Crew chief Tony Eury Sr. shares a few words with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Junior will start third Sunday.


Jeff Gordon will start 11th on Sunday -- his worst starting spot since Las Vegas in March.


Making his first Nextel Cup appearance of the year, Kerry Earnhardt qualified 36th.


Kurt Busch qualified 22nd Friday at Talladega.


Ricky Rudd may have gotten a bit of strength from Wonder Woman before qualifying on Friday.


After his win last weekend at Martinsville, Rusty Wallace qualified 32nd for Sunday's race.


As always, the inspection area was a busy spot on Friday.


Michael Waltrip and Ward Burton had reason to smile Friday after both posted top-10 starting spots for Sunday's race.

redriderbob

 

Practice Speeds before Qualifying...

1 #21 Ricky Rudd Ford Motorcraft/U.S. Air Force 191.039 50.126 Leader
2 #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 190.544 50.256 -0.130
3 #38 Elliott Sadler Ford M&M's 190.128 50.366 -0.240
4 #12 Ryan Newman Dodge ALLTEL 189.808 50.451 -0.325
5 #15 Michael Waltrip Chevrolet NAPA Auto Parts 189.778 50.459 -0.333
6 #01 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet U.S. Army 189.733 50.471 -0.345
7 #10 Scott Riggs* Chevrolet Valvoline 189.545 50.521 -0.395
8 #5 Terry Labonte Chevrolet Kellogg's 189.500 50.533 -0.407
9 #24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont/Pepsi 189.212 50.610 -0.484
10 #99 Jeff Burton Ford Roundup FastAct 189.111 50.637 -0.511
11 #43 Jeff Green Dodge Cheerios/Betty Crocker 188.932 50.685 -0.559
12 #88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS 188.891 50.696 -0.570
13 #29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet GM Goodwrench 188.887 50.697 -0.571
14 #20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Home Depot 188.712 50.744 -0.618
15 #48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 188.705 50.746 -0.620
16 #77 Brendan Gaughan* Dodge Kodak EasyShare 188.679 50.753 -0.627
17 #97 Kurt Busch Ford Sharpie/IRWIN Industrial Tools 188.675 50.754 -0.628
18 #0 Ward Burton Chevrolet NetZero HiSpeed 188.641 50.763 -0.637
19 #40 Sterling Marlin Dodge Coors Light/Kentucky Derby 188.597 50.775 -0.649
20 #25 Brian Vickers* Chevrolet GMAC Financial Services 188.567 50.783 -0.657
21 #16 Greg Biffle Ford National Guard/Subway 188.500 50.801 -0.675
22 #45 Kyle Petty Dodge Georgia Pacific/Brawny 188.396 50.829 -0.703
23 #18 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet Wellbutrin XL 188.378 50.834 -0.708
24 #09 Johnny Benson Dodge Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts 188.030 50.928 -0.802
25 #133 Kerry Earnhardt Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops 188.015 50.932 -0.806
26 #9 Kasey Kahne* Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 187.934 50.954 -0.828
27 #4 Jimmy Spencer Chevrolet Morgan-McClure 187.890 50.966 -0.840
28 #32 Ricky Craven Chevrolet Tide 187.713 51.014 -0.888
29 #22 Scott Wimmer* Dodge Caterpillar 187.706 51.016 -0.890
30 #19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 187.581 51.050 -0.924
31 #6 Mark Martin Ford Viagra 187.416 51.095 -0.969
32 #31 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 187.372 51.107 -0.981
33 #17 Matt Kenseth Ford DeWalt Power Tools 187.353 51.112 -0.986
34 #100 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet Aaron's 187.291 51.129 -1.003
35 #41 Casey Mears Dodge Target 187.210 51.151 -1.025
36 #49 Ken Schrader Dodge Schwan's Home Service 187.145 51.169 -1.043
37 #30 Johnny Sauter* Chevrolet America Online 187.134 51.172 -1.046
38 #2 Rusty Wallace Dodge Miller Lite 187.057 51.193 -1.067
39 #04 Eric McClure Chevrolet 77sports.com/I CAN Learn 186.882 51.241 -1.115
40 #23 Dave Blaney Dodge Bill Davis Racing 186.685 51.295 -1.169
41 #42 Jamie McMurray Dodge Texaco/Havoline 186.391 51.376 -1.250
42 #50 Derrike Cope Dodge Arnold Development Companies 185.326 51.671 -1.545
43 #14 Larry Foyt Dodge A.J. Foyt Racing 182.993 52.330 -2.204
44 #89 Morgan Shepherd Dodge Voyles/Carter's Royal Dispos-all 182.689 52.417 -2.291
45 #198 Todd Bodine Ford Lucas Oil Products 180.349 53.097 -2.971

* Denotes Rookie

redriderbob

 

A Little About Taladega SuperSpeedway...

http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/tal/index.html



Track Facts:
Banking/Turns: 33

Distance: 2.66 miles

Shape: Tri-oval

Talladega Superspeedway
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.

Nextel Cup Race Record
Mark Martin 188.354 05|10|97

Busch Race Record
Mark Martin 168.937 04|26|97

Nextel Cup Qualifying Record
Bill Elliott 212.809 1987

Busch Qualifying Record
Joe Nemechek 193.517 1997

redriderbob

 

Alabama Gang Member To Serve as Grand Marshal at 'Dega: NASCAR legend and one of the original members of the famed “Alabama Gang� Bobby Allison will serve as grand marshal for Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. The Hueytown, Ala., driver and 1983 NASCAR Cup champion had 84 NASCAR victories – four of them at Talladega Superspeedway – will say the most famous words in motorsports when he commands drivers to start their engines prior to the Aaron’s 499 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race.(TSS PR)(4-23-2004)

jayski.com

redriderbob

 

Talladega Honorary Starter: An Aaron’s employee will serve as honorary starter for Sunday’s race and wave the green flag. The yet-to-be-named honorary starter is a winner of a nationwide contest conducted with employees of Aaron’s during its “PT Rodeo� – a contest among Aaron’s product technicians. Product technicians are the last point of contact with customers, and the best of the best.(TSS PR)(4-23-2004)

jayski.com

redriderbob

 

Talladega National Anthem: Mercury recording artist and 1999 ACM Top New Male Vocalist Mark Wills will sing the national anthem prior to the Aaron’s 499. Wills gained national attention in 1996 when his self-titled debut album produced “Jacob’s Ladder� and “Places I’ve Never Been.� He followed up with ‘90s radio staples like “Wish You Were Here,� “She’s In Love� and “I Do (Cherish You),� and “Don’t Laugh At Me.� Wills’ latest album, “And the Crowd Goes Wild,� is in stores now.(TSS PR)(4-23-2004)

jayski.com

redriderbob

 

I think Waltrip is due this week.