DEI's Earnhardt, Truex lead Saturday practices

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Dale Earnhardt Inc. drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. swapped off leading Saturday's practice sessions at Martinsville Speedway for Sunday's Goody's Cool Orange 500.

Earnhardt, despite complaining of a vibration in his brake pedal, had the fastest lap in Happy Hour, 20.235 seconds -- an average speed of 93.580 mph. He also had the fastest average of the 43 cars that practiced, 20.459 seconds over 56 laps in his No. 8 Chevrolet.

Truex's No. 1 Chevrolet posted the fastest lap of the day in the opening practice, 20.155 seconds at 93.952 mph. In the afternoon session, he was third behind Bud Pole winner Denny Hamlin's No. 11 Chevy.

Hamlin and Kevin Harvick joined Truex in consistently excelling in practice. Hamlin was fourth in the first session, while Harvick, who has two seventh-place finishes at Martinsville, was third in Friday's opening practice and fifth in Happy Hour.

Kyle Busch was second-fastest in the opening practice, while Jeremy Mayfield, who has made two consecutive races after four DNQs, broke up Chevrolet's dominance by rebounding into fourth in Happy Hour.

"We were really bad in the first practice this morning, and we started out bad in final practice," Mayfield said. "We changed some stuff in the middle of the session and got a lot better there at the end.

"We're really happy about the progress we made and hopefully that's a good sign for [Sunday]. If I can get a good run for our team we'll be able to get some points. We need points bad right now."

But Truex appears to be in a dominant position after he led Friday's opening practice before slipping to 15th in qualifying.

Martinsville is a legendary facility for the Northeast's Modified racing community. After his performance Saturday, Truex, who at the beginning of his career raced Modifieds, hopes to add his name to the .526-mile track's legacy.

"I think so, because I think our car is good enough," Truex said. "It's just a matter of doing everything right throughout the race [because] this is a tough place to race."

Truex has had a rough start to 2007, with only two finishes better than 15th and a best of eighth, at Atlanta. His previous luck at Martinsville has been little better, with his finishes being 19th and 36th.

"My luck hasn't been too great lately," Truex said. "It seems like every time we run good, something weird happens, but we're going to give it everything we've got.

"The guys are doing a great job -- they're doing all the right things, and Bono [Manion, crew chief] is really on top of his game lately. He's giving me good cars and he's giving me what I'm asking for.

"When I ask for something he knows how to give it to me these days, so things are going good."

Considering there were no accidents in either practice, an interesting sight occurred after the checkered flag fell on Happy Hour. More than 20 teams rolled their backup cars out of their transporters and prepared to take them outside the infield to waiting backup haulers.

NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said at least 23 teams had requested the track's Turn 4 gate be opened between Happy Hour and the Kroger 250 Craftsman Truck Series race.

The teams intend to remove their backup cars from Martinsville and prepare them for a two-day open test next Tuesday and Wednesday at Richmond International Raceway.

Among the organizations that unloaded cars were Robert Yates Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Haas CNC Racing, Petty Enterprises, Evernham Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Ginn Racing, Penske Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Wood Brothers/JTG Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, Robby Gordon Motorsports and Team Red Bull.