Waltrip spins into Truex Jr. during NBS practice

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The weekend got a little more complicated for Hershey's Kisses pole-sitter Martin Truex Jr. And it got a lot more complicated for Michael Waltrip.

	Martin Truex Jr.

During the Busch Series' first post-qualifying traffic, Waltrip cut down a left-rear tire in Turn 3 of Daytona International Speedway, spun and collected Truex. Waltrip's car sustained heavy front-end damage, and his No. 99 Chevrolet team was forced to pull out a backup.

But after a lengthy discussion with car owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., Earnhardt Jr.'s Nextel Cup crew chief Tony Eury Sr. and Waltrip's Cup crew chief Slugger Labbe, Truex's Chance 2 Motorsports team decided to fix the damage to its No. 81 Chevrolet.

That means Truex, who earned the pole Friday morning with a lap of 181.138 mph, won't have to go to the rear of the field for Saturday's race. His crew immediately went to work to fix what was termed as "cosmetic damage" by a team spokesman.

"Yeah, they said it's going to be good as new," Truex Jr. Said. "We'll see."

Waltrip confirmed a flat left-rear tire caused him to spin. Truex Jr. was simply an innocent victim.

	Michael Waltrip

"I guess Michael blew a tire, or his left-rear tire came a part of something," Truex Jr. said. "I was just out there riding around, trying to get some serious drafting to see where my car would go and what I needed to do to pass people. Everything was going good. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Waltrip's crew began work on a backup car that appeared to not be quite ready for the track. Waltrip had qualified 11th but will have to move to the back for the start of Saturday's race.

Ron Hornaday led the practice with a best lap of 185.924, with Robby Gordon second at 185.693 and Kyle Busch third at 185.621. Waltrip was 10th, with Truex 17th before their crash.

Busch Series cars have another 45-minute practice schedule for 3:45 p.m. Friday.