Happiness Raines at Talladega Happy Hour

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Saturday's Happy Hour practice for the Aaron's 499 at Talladega proved just how indiscriminate NASCAR Winston Cup restrictor-plate racing is at the circuit's two biggest speedways.

	Tony Raines starts 43rd on Sunday at Talladega. Credit: Autostock

Rookie of the Year candidate Tony Raines -- who will take off 43rd on Sunday -- was quickest in the practice.

Morning rain eliminated one scheduled 45-minute practice and cut Happy Hour to about 51 minutes.

Raines' quickest lap was at 194.322 mph. Todd Bodine, who also used a provisional to make the field, was second fastest at 194.007 mph.

"If you lay back and run up on them (draft), you can run a good lap," Raines said, chuckling. "We worked on the car and it's driving better. It's loose in and through the center (of the corner) and tight off but we've got something we can put in it and help that.

"We'll just try and make it to the checkered flag, which is a big job, here."

The cars that were expected to be at the front filled in the next several positions, but even they acknowledged Talladega's fickle personality.

AARON'S 499  •  Happy Hour Speeds  •  1st Practice Speeds  •  Lineup

Two-time Talladega winner Bill Elliott (193.995 mph), Jimmie Johnson (193.819), Bud Pole winner Jeremy Mayfield (193.744) and Michael Waltrip (193.252) filled the next four spots.

Elliott is the all-time Winston Cup qualifying record holder thanks to a 210.809-mph lap at Talladega in 1987. He also holds the restrictor plate qualifying record here at 199.388.

But in his past 14 starts, Elliott has only one top-10 finish. Therefore, practice didn't do much to put a smile on his face.

"I haven't done much of anything here lately -- I was good maybe 20 years ago," Elliott said. "The whole deal here is just being in the right place at the right time at the end of the day -- if you're still in one piece."

Johnson agrees.

"It's just Talladega -- a big, fast place," Johnson said. "It's all the same thing every time you come here. You're just hanging on, wide open."

Kenny Wallace ran the most laps, 44, while Jeff Green ran only 13 and was slowest on the time sheet.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has won the past three Talladega Winston Cup races, continued to maintain a low profile. Earnhardt, who qualified 13th on Friday, posted the 34th-fastest lap at 189.395 mph.