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"The first lap he was just trying to get the brakes warmed up and he was going down in there to complete his first green-flag lap and it wheel-hopped getting into three," said UPS Racing crew chief Shawn Parker.
"The field is so close here that he was just trying to get every little bit he could. We were off on the car in practice and made some changes. Apparently, it wasn't the right way to go."
At least he got to try.
Sadler never even made a qualifying lap Friday.
"For some reason we've got a little bit too much camber in the left rear with our qualifying tires on and the air pressure," Sadler said. "We tried to heat it and freeze it a few times, but by then we ran out on NASCAR's five-minute clock. When you do that, you're not allowed to qualify."
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Once Kevin Harvick, the driver behind Sadler in the qualifying order, took the green flag, the M&Ms crew had five minutes to get the car on the grid with the driver strapped in. Unsuccessful, they were disallowed the opportunity to qualify and required a provisional to make the field.
Sadler, one of 11 drivers "put on the clock" Friday, will be allowed to practice Saturday, but must pass pre-race inspection Sunday morning.
"It's not from a lack of effort or anything," Sadler said. "We just had a little bit too much camber and that wasn't good for the M&M's Ford Taurus today. We were actually really fast in practice and I was looking forward to qualifying, but I know my guys will give me a good race car.
"I'm just upset about a provisional. I don't like using provisionals, but this is only my second one this year. We've got to get 'em on Sunday."
That's not easy, but Kurt Busch did win from 36th position last year. Sadler starts 38th.
"I've started back there many a time and I know how difficult it is," Sadler said. "It seems like as soon as you take the green the leader is right on your back bumper.
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| Crew chief Shawn Parker and his No. 88 team have plenty of work to do before Sunday's race. Credit: Autostock |
"We have dug ourselves a huge hole and it just adds to the type of month we're having here. The last three weeks is enough to make a grown man cry and then we have this today, so, hopefully one day this black cloud will get away from us."
Jarrett, the 1999 Winston Cup champion, has never finished worse than 13th in a RYR Ford. He is currently 27th in the standings, without a top-five finish since winning Rockingham in the season's second week. He hopes to change that Sunday.
"We'll have to see tomorrow how good it will be, but it's the car we had at Chicago," Parker said. "We've been running out of our short-track cars a little bit, but all of our cars are pretty much the same. We'll just keep working on it hard and, hopefully, get it as good as we can and be there at the end on Sunday."
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