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“For just going out cold turkey when everything was cold, that’s a real good lap for today,” Nemechek said of the air temperature, which felt like the high 50s. “I’m real proud of my Cellular One guys and I’m real proud of Jeff Fuller and the 88 bunch, too -- that car is right up there.”
“It’s tough when the cars have to sit all night. The hubs get cold -- everything gets cold and it makes it tough trying to go out and make a good lap. We thought we could go faster than that a little bit but still, it’s a good lap.”
David Green, the 1994 Busch Series champion set the second best time with the No. 6 Volaris Online Dodge. Green, who currently has only a one-race sponsorship to drive the car fielded by Winston Cup mechanics Tommy Baldwin and Eddie D’Hondt, was clocked at 48.449 seconds, 185.762 mph.
“Tommy Baldwin Racing was formed with the hopes of running the whole year, and we’ve been scrambling all winter to make it happen,” Green said. “This is kind of a good payoff. I’ve never concentrated on being on the right spots on the race track as much before and it paid off today.”
Randy LaJoie, the defending and three-time champion of the race whose No. 7 Kleenex Chevrolet is prepared in Nemechek’s shop for owner Ed Evans, turned the third best lap, 48.504 / 185.552.
“We didn’t hit anything,” LaJoie said. “We built a new Chevrolet after sitting on the outside of the front row last year in a Pontiac and (this year) we’re best in class. We’re just going to put the hammer down and go for it. If you come here and beat Hendrick’s and Childress’ restrictor plate programs you know you’ve done good.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. came from even further out in the proverbial left field than Nemechek. Junior’s lap in the No. 3 Oreo Chevrolet in 48.511 seconds, 185.525 mph, was only .004 better than former Busch Series Rookie of the Year Fuller’s lap. But it was much faster than anything Earnhardt had run in practice in the first race for a No. 3 Busch car since the 2000 season finale.
Fuller, in the No. 88 Scott Towels Chevrolet, backed up his fastest runs in practice with the fifth best qualifying speed, 48.515 / 185.510. With Fuller’s run three cars affiliated with NEMCO qualified in the top-five.
“We’re taking Jeff’s program one race at a time, though we know we’re coming back here (in July) and going to Talladega with Scott Towels (sponsorship) on the car,” Nemechek said. “We’re trying to put some deals together to take him to some of the other race tracks.
“Jeff’s a good guy -- he just needs a break. He’s been helping us out doing some testing and some pit stop practice.”
Winston Cup driver Stacy Compton, who is attempting to also run a full Busch Series program in the No. 59 Kingsford/Johnsonville Chevrolet; Johnny Sauter, driving the defending Busch championship No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet; Hank Parker Jr. in the No. 36 GNC Dodge; rookie Ricky Hendrick in the No. 5 GMAC Chevrolet; and 2000 Busch Series champion Jeff Green in the No. 21 Rockwell Chevrolet qualified sixth through 10th.
Rookie Casey Mears, Ashton Lewis Jr., Shane Hall, Andy Kirby, Kirk Shelmerdine, Chad Chaffin and Jeff Spraker took provisional starting positions to line up 37th through 43rd.
C.W. Smith, David Boggs, Mike Harmon, Mike Wallace and Dan Pardus failed to qualify for Saturday's opener, which is set for a 1 p.m. ET start.
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