Notebook: Double-dipping not so helpful at Bristol (cont'd)

The rookie, who was the last car to attempt a qualifying run, will start 35th after posting a speed of 122.976 mph. He credits the fact he's run a Cup car here before as the difference maker.

"This is the first track I actually got to test at, so I had a little more confidence coming into the weekend," he said. "We had a great test here last month, the guys did a great job and they kept me pumped."

Earnhardt update

Dale Earnhardt Jr. toyed with the idea of flying home to Mooresville, N.C., on Friday to check on the status of his sister, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, who underwent surgery to have a benign cyst removed from her pancreas. But Earnhardt was told that surgery went so well that he elected to stay at the track in Bristol.

One day earlier, Earnhardt told reporters that his contract negotiations with Dale Earnhardt Inc. are on hold until his sister is sufficiently recovered. Earnhardt is in the final year of his contract with DEI and has said he is seeking a majority ownership stake in the company his late father founded.

Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, a senior officer for the driver's Busch Series team, has been handling his end of negotiations with DEI, a company now headed by his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt.

Waltrip, Hammond nominated

During their legendary on-track careers, driver Darrell Waltrip and crew chief Jeff Hammond saw Victory Lane 43 times together as a team. Now, as members of the NASCAR on FOX television broadcasting team, they hope to reach the winner's circle together again.

Both men were honored recently with their first Emmy Award nominations -- Waltrip for "Outstanding Event Analyst" and Hammond for "Outstanding Studio Analyst." Available research suggests that they are the first NASCAR-related TV personalities to ever receive Emmy nominations.

David Caraviello, Bill Kimm and Joe Menzer contributed to this report.