Riggs’ Dodge Leads the Way at Lowe’s
Written by John Davison · October 12, 2006
Scott Riggs headed a Dodge clean sweep of the top five spots for Saturday evening’s Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Joining Riggs on the front row will be Kasey Kahne. Row two is comprised of Kurt Busch and Casey Mears, while Elliott Sadler starts fifth. Kevin Harvick is the first non-Dodge starter, followed by fellow RCR Chevy Jeff Burton. Mark Martin is the only Ford in the top ten, starting eighth, while Clint Bowyer and Reed Sorenson fill out the top ten. In post-qualifying technical inspection, NASCAR discovered that the right-rear shock absorber on Kurt Busch’s No. 2 Dodge was not in compliance with regulations. This violation will drop the third-place qualifier to the rear of the field, as his qualifying time was disallowed.
Reed Sorenson hit the track first in qualifying for the Bank of America 500. The track was already fully shaded with the sun down below the horizon. His lap of 28.687 sec/188.239 mph was quicker than any lap turned in practice for the race. Next out was Kevin Lepage with a 29.182/185.046 on his first lap. Unfortunately, his second lap was a total loss as he missed the marks and had to back out of the throttle.
Todd Kluever, third out in the No. 06 Ford from Roush Racing, put a first lap on the board at 29.139/185.319 and then a second lap slightly quicker at 29.119 sec and 185.446 mph. Like Lepage, he has to qualify on time for this race.
Tony Raines, next out in the No. 96 Chevy, put a first lap on the books at 29.149 /185.255 but slowed slightly on the second lap. Last week’s pole winner, David Gilliland, went out next on his qualifying effort, having set tenth-quickest time in practice. His first lap of 29.072 / 185.746 was quicker than his second, putting him on the board in second until someone turns in a faster speed.
Bill Elliott, coming back from semi-retirement, was only 31st in practice with the No. 83 Dodge, carrying the logos of Kyle Petty’s Victory Junction Gang, clocked in at 29.131/185.370.
Ken Schrader pedaled the No. 21 Wood Brothers’ Ford to second place so far with a lap of 28.832/187.292, slightly quicker than his 28.851 second lap.
Last week’s victor, Brian Vickers, came out next, entering a lap of 28.923/186.703 in the books before a slightly slower 29.007 lap on his second round. Mike Bliss, another of the drivers who must make the field on time, ran next in the No. 49 Dodge, his first lap of 28.896/186.877 satisfying him as he pulled off the track on his second round.
Kurt Busch, next out, drove the No. 2 Dodge around the 1.5 mile ‘quad-oval’ at 28.464/189.713, putting him in first at the time and settling for only one lap. Bobby Labonte, driving the Petty Enterprises No. 43 Dodge, qualified fourth for now at 28.861/187.104, also slowing on his second lap.
Jeff Green’s No. 66 Chevy bumped Labonte back a slot, his lap of 28.849/187.182 just .078 quicker than Labonte’s.
Kasey Kahne, responding to the ‘challenge’ from Kurt Busch, jumped to the front of the grid with a lap of 28.392/190.194 in his blue-painted Dodge. Busch had told television interviewers to hurry and talk to him before Kahne went out on the track.
Dale Jarrett, next on the track, nearly touched the wall on his first lap but still clocked in ninth, at 29.055/185.854 for his lap.
Greg Biffle’s 29.027/186.034 became ninth, relegating Jarrett to tenth until a quicker time displaces them.
Joe Nemechek, his No. 01 Chevy pushing up the track in the second turn, was slowest so far at 29.188/185.008 for his first lap, but ran quicker at 28.965/186.432 to jump way up the scoreboard.
Terry Labonte, in a car painted to look like the car he won his championship with, clocked a pair of disappointing laps, the first at 29.359/183.930 and the second slightly quicker at 29.236/184.137 before Ryan Newman went out for his qualifying effort. Newman has won five pole positions at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. His first lap was a 28.772/18.682 effort, followed by a slower 29.066 round. Denny Hamlin, teammage to Tony Stewart and JJ Yeley, hit the track next, his No. 11 Chevy rounding the track at 28.867//187.065 on the first lap before he coasted to the pits satisfied with the single lap.
Elliott Sadler, driving the No. 19 Dodge for the last few weeks, was next to challenge the track, his lap of 28.568/189.023 good for third in the grid currently. Jeff Burton, driving the third of the Richard Childress cars, registerd a 28.636/188.574 on his first lap before slowing only .064 second on his second lap. The first of his two laps was good for fourth.
Rookie Travis Kvapil clocked a lap of 29.158/185.198 before David Stremme put the No. 40 Dodge in the field at 28.756/187.787 on his first lap and then ran a tiny .007 quicker on the second lap
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