Casey Mears and his #41 Target Dodge set a new track record Saturday in Bud Pole qualifying... this marks Mears second ever pole in two back to back races!

1 #41 Casey Mears Dodge Target 186.293 48.311 Leader
2 #0 Ward Burton Chevrolet NetZero HiSpeed 185.391 48.546 -0.235
3 #38 Elliott Sadler Ford M&M's 185.162 48.606 -0.295
4 #01 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet U.S. Army 184.976 48.655 -0.344
5 #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 184.968 48.657 -0.346
6 #25 Brian Vickers* Chevrolet GMAC Financial Services 184.665 48.737 -0.426
7 #12 Ryan Newman Dodge ALLTEL 184.332 48.825 -0.514
8 #42 Jamie McMurray Dodge Texaco/Havoline 184.222 48.854 -0.543
9 #48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 184.090 48.889 -0.578
10 #40 Sterling Marlin Dodge Coors Light 183.959 48.924 -0.613
11 #24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 183.910 48.937 -0.626
12 #9 Kasey Kahne* Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 183.842 48.955 -0.644
13 #19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 183.576 49.026 -0.715
14 #43 Jeff Green Dodge Cheerios/Betty Crocker 183.557 49.031 -0.720
15 #97 Kurt Busch Ford Sharpie/IRWIN Industrial Tools 183.512 49.043 -0.732
16 #6 Mark Martin Ford Viagra 183.449 49.060 -0.749
17 #88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS 183.169 49.135 -0.824
18 #91 Bill Elliott Dodge Evernham Motorsports 183.094 49.155 -0.844
19 #99 Jeff Burton Ford Roush Racing 183.027 49.173 -0.862
20 #31 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 182.960 49.191 -0.880
21 #5 Terry Labonte Chevrolet Kellogg's 182.916 49.203 -0.892
22 #100 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet Aaron's 182.756 49.246 -0.935
23 #17 Matt Kenseth Ford DeWalt Power Tools 182.537 49.305 -0.994
24 #20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot 182.057 49.435 -1.124
25 #160 Jason Leffler Chevrolet Haas Automation 181.980 49.456 -1.145
26 #45 Kyle Petty Dodge Georgia-Pacific/Brawny 181.822 49.499 -1.188
27 #10 Scott Riggs* Chevrolet Valvoline 181.800 49.505 -1.194
28 #15 Michael Waltrip Chevrolet NAPA Auto Parts 181.767 49.514 -1.203
29 #2 Rusty Wallace Dodge Miller Lite 181.712 49.529 -1.218
30 #77 Brendan Gaughan* Dodge Kodak/Jasper Engines 181.561 49.570 -1.259
31 #49 Ken Schrader Dodge Schwan's Home Service 181.463 49.597 -1.286
32 #29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet GM Goodwrench 181.408 49.612 -1.301
33 #4 Jimmy Spencer Chevrolet Featherlite Inc. 181.386 49.618 -1.307
34 #22 Scott Wimmer* Dodge Caterpillar 181.320 49.636 -1.325
35 #16 Greg Biffle Ford National Guard 181.243 49.657 -1.346
36 #23 Tony Raines Dodge Bill Davis Racing 181.221 49.663 -1.352
37 #32 Ricky Craven Chevrolet Tide 181.210 49.666 -1.355
38 #30 Dave Blaney Chevrolet America Online 180.941 49.740 -1.429

Provisional
39 #18 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet Interstate Batteries - - -
40 #21 Ricky Rudd Ford Motorcraft/U.S. Air Force 180.934 49.742 -1.431
41 #50 Todd Bodine Dodge Arnold Development Companies 178.207 50.503 -2.192
42 #09 Scott Pruett Dodge Phoenix Racing 168.171 53.517 -5.206
43 #198 Derrike Cope Ford Lucas Oil Products 177.637 50.665 -2.354

Did not Qualify
44 #251 Kevin Lepage Chevrolet Marathon Oil 178.987 50.283 -1.972
45 #02 Hermie Sadler Chevrolet SCORE Motorsports 177.162 50.801 -2.490
46 #89 Morgan Shepherd Dodge Racing With Jesus/Red Line Oil 177.148 50.805 -2.494
47 #113 Greg Sacks Dodge ARC Dehooker/Vita Coco 176.346 51.036 -2.725
48 #137 Andy Hillenburg Dodge Carter's Royal Dispos-all 176.322 51.043 -2.732
49 #234 Geoffrey Bodine Dodge City of El Paso 173.030 52.014 -3.703
50 #172 Kirk Shelmerdine Ford Freddie B's 168.970 53.264 -4.953

* Denotes Rookie

redriderbob

 

The three Evernham Motorsports cars of Kasey Kahne (#9), Jeremy Mayfield (#19), and Bill Elliott (#91) were in the top-4 cars in Happy Hour Time Trials...

1 #9 Kasey Kahne* Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 179.723 50.077 Leader
2 #38 Elliott Sadler Ford M&M's 179.612 50.108 -0.031
3 #19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 179.598 50.112 -0.035
4 #91 Bill Elliott Dodge Evernham Motorsports 178.798 50.336 -0.259
5 #17 Matt Kenseth Ford DeWalt Power Tools 178.777 50.342 -0.265
6 #31 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 178.742 50.352 -0.275
7 #6 Mark Martin Ford Viagra 178.579 50.398 -0.321
8 #48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 178.405 50.447 -0.370
9 #12 Ryan Newman Dodge ALLTEL 178.384 50.453 -0.376
10 #29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet GM Goodwrench 178.168 50.514 -0.437
11 #99 Jeff Burton Ford Roush Racing 178.031 50.553 -0.476
12 #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 177.887 50.594 -0.517
13 #20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot 177.855 50.603 -0.526
14 #30 Dave Blaney Chevrolet America Online 177.848 50.605 -0.528
15 #43 Jeff Green Dodge Cheerios/Betty Crocker 177.753 50.632 -0.555
16 #23 Tony Raines Dodge Bill Davis Racing 177.620 50.670 -0.593
17 #0 Ward Burton Chevrolet NetZero HiSpeed 177.567 50.685 -0.608
18 #40 Sterling Marlin Dodge Coors Light 177.529 50.696 -0.619
19 #88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS 177.515 50.700 -0.623
20 #5 Terry Labonte Chevrolet Kellogg's 177.490 50.707 -0.630
21 #24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 177.413 50.729 -0.652
22 #97 Kurt Busch Ford Sharpie/IRWIN Industrial Tools 177.375 50.740 -0.663
23 #25 Brian Vickers* Chevrolet GMAC Financial Services 177.301 50.761 -0.684
24 #01 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet U.S. Army 177.260 50.773 -0.696
25 #45 Kyle Petty Dodge Georgia-Pacific/Brawny 176.880 50.882 -0.805
26 #49 Ken Schrader Dodge Schwan's Home Service 176.744 50.921 -0.844
27 #42 Jamie McMurray Dodge Texaco/Havoline 176.717 50.929 -0.852
28 #10 Scott Riggs* Chevrolet Valvoline 176.626 50.955 -0.878
29 #41 Casey Mears Dodge Target 176.606 50.961 -0.884
30 #2 Rusty Wallace Dodge Miller Lite 176.547 50.978 -0.901
31 #15 Michael Waltrip Chevrolet NAPA Auto Parts 176.529 50.983 -0.906
32 #18 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet Interstate Batteries 176.360 51.032 -0.955
33 #21 Ricky Rudd Ford Motorcraft/U.S. Air Force 176.167 51.088 -1.011
34 #77 Brendan Gaughan* Dodge Kodak/Jasper Engines 176.125 51.100 -1.023
35 #22 Scott Wimmer* Dodge Caterpillar 175.946 51.152 -1.075
36 #32 Ricky Craven Chevrolet Tide 175.094 51.401 -1.324
37 #50 Todd Bodine Dodge Arnold Development Companies 174.108 51.692 -1.615
38 #100 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet Aaron's 173.960 51.736 -1.659
39 #4 Jimmy Spencer Chevrolet Featherlite Inc. 172.147 52.281 -2.204
40 #198 Derrike Cope Ford Lucas Oil Products 169.132 53.213 -3.136
41 #16 Greg Biffle Ford National Guard - - -
42 #160 Jason Leffler Chevrolet Haas Automation - - -
43 #09 Scott Pruett Dodge Phoenix Racing - - -

* Denotes Rookie

redriderbob

 

Photos from Bud Pole Qualfying!


Bobby Labonte had little to smile about after his engine expired during qualifying. He'll start 39th.


Robby Gordon's crew hustles to get its car on the track. Gordon qualified 20th.


The field awaits the start of qualifying Saturday at Indianapolis.


Casey Mears signs autographs for some young ladies.


Elliott Sadler speaks with the media after he qualified third.


Brian Vickers patiently waits to qualify. He'll start sixth on Sunday.


Ward Burton held the pole for a little while Saturday, but settled for a second-place start.


Casey Mears celebrates his second consecutive Bud Pole Award.

NASCAR.com

redriderbob

 

Kasey Kahne and crew chief Tommy Baldwin found the right combination during Happy Hour on Saturday at Indianapolis.

Evernham team looking strong at Indianapolis
Kahne leads final practice for Brickyard 400, Mayfield third
By Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM
August 7, 2004
05:42 PM EDT (21:42 GMT)

SPEEDWAY, Ind. -- While Casey Mears was accepting the accolades and attention that come with winning the Bud Pole, a couple of other Dodge drivers were confident about their chances in Sunday's Brickyard 400.

Kasey Kahne will start 12th and Jeremy Mayfield 13th when the green flag drops, but based on Saturday's post-qualifying practices, don't expect the two teammates to stay that far back for long.

Kahne and Mayfield both exceeded 179 mph in the first practice, just behind Ryan Newman, who posted the fastest time of the session. Kahne then turned the fastest lap in Happy Hour, at 179.723 mph, while Mayfield was third at 179.598.

Mayfield brought out the only caution of the session with a flat tire.

This is Kahne's first time at the Speedway, but he's no stranger to Indianapolis. USAC midget champion in 2000, Kahne won back-to-back "Night Before the 500" midget car races at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 2000 and 2001.

"We were a little bit tight from the center off and didn't run quite as fast as we probably could have, but it was still a good (qualifying) lap," Kahne said. "It was hotter than yesterday, and I think we should've run faster than that, really. Obviously, there's some speed in the track."


Jeremy Mayfield hasn't had good luck in past Brickyard 400 appearances.

Mayfield agreed.

"The car's handling great. It's the best car I've ever had here, I think," Mayfield said. "The car drives awesome. We should be in good shape."

Mayfield would love to end a streak of poor finishes at Indianapolis. In nine previous Brickyard 400s, his best finish was a fifth in 1997. In seven of those races, he's been 25th or worse, including a 41st-place finish last season.

"I feel real good about the race," Mayfield said. "I'm excited. If we don't beat ourselves, we'll be in good shape.

"We've got three straight top-10s, and we're counting on making it four in a row tomorrow."

Three cars didn't participate in the final practice session. Greg Biffle and Jason Leffler were at IRP, preparing for the Busch Series Kroger 200, while Scott Pruett was on his way to Mid-Ohio to run a Grand Am sports car race.

NASCAR.com

redriderbob