UAW-GM Quality 500

[Kirkendall]

1st Practice Speeds. Qualifying is tonight at 7pm EST on the SPEED channel (that's 4pm for you Billy-bob-NASCAR-dude)

Fords look tough.

1 #12 Ryan Newman Dodge ALLTEL 187.045 28.870 Leader

2 #97 Kurt Busch Ford IRWIN Industrial Tools/Sharpie 186.419 28.967 -0.097

3 #38 Elliott Sadler Ford Combos 185.970 29.037 -0.167

4 #6 Mark Martin Ford Viagra 185.096 29.174 -0.304

5 #9 Kasey Kahne* Dodge Dodge Dealers Mopar/UAW 184.938 29.199 -0.329

6 #48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's/HMS 20th Anniv. 184.856 29.212 -0.342

7 #30 Jeff Burton Chevrolet America Online 184.288 29.302 -0.432

8 #24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont/HMS 20th Anniv. 184.156 29.323 -0.453

9 #41 Casey Mears Dodge Target/SpongeBob SquarePants 184.156 29.323 -0.453

10 #15 Michael Waltrip Chevrolet NAPA Auto Parts 184.112 29.330 -0.460

11 #31 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 184.080 29.335 -0.465

12 #29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet GM Goodwrench 183.993 29.349 -0.479

13 #32 Bobby Hamilton Jr. Chevrolet Tide 183.968 29.353 -0.483

14 #20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot 183.792 29.381 -0.511

15 #43 Jeff Green Dodge Cheerios/Betty Crocker 183.680 29.399 -0.529

16 #17 Matt Kenseth Ford DeWalt Power Tools 183.642 29.405 -0.535

17 #01 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet U.S. Army/G.I. Joe 183.411 29.442 -0.572

18 #21 Ricky Rudd Ford Motorcraft/U.S. Air Force 183.380 29.447 -0.577

19 #25 Brian Vickers* Chevrolet GMAC/HMS 20th Anniv. 183.113 29.490 -0.620

20 #4 Jimmy Spencer Chevrolet Lucas Oil Products 183.032 29.503 -0.633

21 #251 Tony Raines Chevrolet Marathon Oil/Chase 182.958 29.515 -0.645

22 #16 Greg Biffle Ford National Guard 182.865 29.530 -0.660

23 #2 Rusty Wallace Dodge Miller Lite 182.859 29.531 -0.661

24 #14 John Andretti Ford VB/APlus at Sunoco 182.809 29.539 -0.669

25 #40 Sterling Marlin Dodge Coors Light/Prilosec 182.673 29.561 -0.691

26 #137 Kevin Lepage Dodge Carter's Royal Dispos-all 182.673 29.561 -0.691

27 #42 Jamie McMurray Dodge Texaco/Havoline 182.587 29.575 -0.705

28 #50 Jeff Fuller Dodge Arnold Development Companies 182.469 29.594 -0.724

29 #10 Scott Riggs* Chevrolet Valvoline 182.395 29.606 -0.736

30 #19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 182.352 29.613 -0.743

31 #45 Kyle Petty Dodge Georgia-Pacific/Brawny 182.070 29.659 -0.789

32 #49 Ken Schrader Dodge Schwan's Home Service 182.008 29.669 -0.799

33 #22 Scott Wimmer* Dodge Caterpillar 181.990 29.672 -0.802

34 #18 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet Interstate Batteries 181.800 29.703 -0.833

35 #77 Brendan Gaughan* Dodge Jasper Engines & Transmissions 181.733 29.714 -0.844

36 #84 Kyle Busch Chevrolet CARQUEST/HMS 20th Anniv. 181.439 29.762 -0.892

37 #0 Ward Burton Chevrolet NetZero 181.415 29.766 -0.896

38 #99 Carl Edwards Ford Canteen Vending/Kraft Foods 181.415 29.766 -0.896

39 #09 Johnny Sauter* Dodge Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts 180.947 29.843 -0.973

40 #88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS 180.741 29.877 -1.007

41 #5 Terry Labonte Chevrolet Kellogg's/HMS 20th Anniv. 180.620 29.897 -1.027

42 #100 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet Aaron's 180.252 29.958 -1.088

43 #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 180.024 29.996 -1.126

44 #92 Derrike Cope Ford TBA 179.545 30.076 -1.206

45 #200 Carl Long Chevrolet Buyer's Choice Auto Warranties 179.229 30.129 -1.259

46 #113 Greg Sacks Dodge ARC Dehooker/Vita Coco 179.122 30.147 -1.277

47 #135 Mike Wallace Chevrolet Gary Keller Racing 178.772 30.206 -1.336

48 #159 Larry Foyt Dodge BAM Racing 176.893 30.527 -1.657

49 #198 Geoffrey Bodine Ford Mach One Inc. 176.840 30.536 -1.666

50 #172 Kirk Shelmerdine Ford Vote for Bush 175.308 30.803 -1.933

51 #89 Morgan Shepherd Dodge Racing With Jesus/Red Line Oil 175.256 30.812 -1.942

52 #02 Hermie Sadler Chevrolet SCORE Motorsports 175.006 30.856 -1.986

[kevnz]

So who's picking who?

After last week I'm gonna break with tradition the rest of the season. No yates cars in my picks

My picks. Martin, Busch, Gordon, or Kasey Kahne.

[Kirkendall]

Newman looks good.. he just won the pole..

[BengalszoneBilly]

Billy-bob-NASCAR-dude.

Hmmm. I kinda like my given by Josh "Redneck" name! By the way guy's, the race is at the Lowes Motor Speedway.

Here's my picks:

Chevy driver: Jeff Gordon. (Always in the running in at Charlotte.)

Dodge Driver: Ryan Newman. (duh!)

Ford Driver: Kurt Busch. (Gotta stick with the hot team!)

[Kirkendall]

I spent all night trying to figure out who'd win this race. I got perhaps 2-3 hours of sleep because of this race!

Ok here we go.

Chevy: Jimmy Johnson -- he shouted out WHO'S YOUR DADDY to every car he passed last time at Lowe's; he's the definite favorite.

Dodge: Kasey Kahne -- always a good driver on intermediate tracks and he's on the outside pole so perhaps, just perhaps, he can get his head out of his arse and win one.

Ford: Kurt Busch -- I think if anything momentum will contribute to this. The other Ford drivers have been either stricken with problems, or others -- Martin -- has become so conservative of getting into an accident he'll be without a chance in the end; then again, that's always been Martin's driving style.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Ok here we go.

Chevy: Jimmy Johnson -- he shouted out WHO'S YOUR DADDY to every car he passed last time at Lowe's; he's the definite favorite.

Dammit Josh you're getting too good at this! I can't believe Gordon finished 2nd after all he went through with his car! Johnson wins the race and only picks up one position due to Busch doing this year what Kenseth did last year...consistently finishing in the top 5!

Junior only picked 5 points on the leader because Kurt Busch finished right on his rear bumper! That too was an incredible finish seeing how he was involved in the first lap wreck with Gordon!

[Kirkendall]

Yea Bill, I'm on fire!

Next year we should pick three, add up their combined finishing position points, and then battle each other for the entire 2005 season.

Gordon's team really impressed me. He was 30th most of the first half of the race, then wrecked -- he got drilled by Rusty on the driver side -- went into the pits about 3-4 times during one caution. Then made his way all the way up to second.

I love races at Lowe's, they are always good.