Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified 36th on a track he has come to dominate in recent years. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Speed eludes Junior on disappointing Friday

Dale Jr. qualifies 36th; DEI mates struggle, too

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. came into the race weekend in Talladega with some much-needed momentum, but a poor qualifying lap on Friday put that momentum in jeopardy.

His lap of 185.935 mph was over a second slower than Kevin Harvick's Bud Pole-winning speed.

Earnhardt has gotten hot in April after a slow start -- he's scored three top-10s in the last four races -- but he qualified just 36th for Sunday's Aaron's 499.

	Junior and Martin Truex Jr. Credit: Autostock
	Aaron's 499 Starting Lineup Driver Make Speed 1. K. Harvick Chevy 189.804 2. J. Gordon Chevy 188.988 3. E. Sadler Ford 188.548 4. S. Riggs Chevy 188.474 5. R. Newman Dodge 188.237 Complete race lineup

The teams qualified in windy, cloudy conditions, but he said that wasn't why he ran a slow lap.

"I don't even know which way the wind is blowing today," Earnhardt said. "Everybody has got to deal with it."

He conceded that he had hoped to qualify better, saying, "It would be nice to have a little bit better racecar."

It's hard to tell if the slow qualifying lap will indeed hurt his bid for a sixth win at Talladega. Earnhardt has finished first or second in each of the last seven races here, including a 38th-to-second run in October 2003.

"I don't mind starting in the back and cutting my way through there," Earnhardt said. "It comes down to who has the right help at the right time."

Junior is going to have plenty of drafting help in his bid to go to the front, because his teammates also struggled in qualifying. Martin Truex Jr., driving in just his second Nextel Cup race of the year, qualified 32nd. Michael Waltrip was 38th.

The trio also was slow in the opening practice, with Earnhardt running only 29th-best.

Kevin Harvick takes the Bud Pole for the Aaron's 499 Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

"I got a lot of friends out there we are all good buddies," Junior said. "It seems like I get one behind me in the last few laps and get the race done but it is going to be tough.

"Your buddies want to win too."

DEI will have two practices on Saturday to find some speed, but at Talladega, it's incredibly tough to improve if the cars are slow off the bat.

That leaves Sunday, when Dale Jr. will have to hope his Chevrolet works well in the draft.

"We'll see, I don't know, it's all about having someone to push you in the end," he said.