The difference between making the race (eighth fastest of the non-35) and not making it (ninth fastest of the non-35) last year in August was. 056 seconds on a qualifying lap.
Translated to feet, that means the car that made the race beat the car that didn’t by just 10 feet during that one-lap shootout. The bottom line is that 56 one-thousandths of a second in qualifying can make or break a team’s season.
Heading into Bristol, several noteworthy drivers are battling for those top 35 spots. Jeff Green (No. 66 Best Buy Chevrolet) is currently 35th, while Kyle Petty (No. 45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge) is 34th. Former series champion Dale Jarrett (No. 44 UPS Toyota) is 33rd. Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Paul Menard (No. 15 Menard’s Chevrolet) is 36th, while Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge) is 37th. Kahne had a series-high six victories in 2006 and ranked second in the standings this time a year ago. Kahne finished eighth in the final standings last season.
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