LOUDON, N.H. -- For the second consecutive Nextel Cup Series Car of Tomorrow race at New Hampshire International Speedway this season, a qualified car had its time disallowed, knocking it out of the lineup.

John Andretti qualified the No. 49 BAM Racing Dodge second-best of the 14 "go or go home" cars at the track, in the 26th position, but in post-qualifying inspection, the 49 car's left-front corner was deemed too low, and Andretti's qualifying time was disallowed.

That moved the No. 98 Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge driven by Boris Said from the 44th-fastest position and out of the race into 43rd in Sunday's lineup for the Sylvania 300. Ironically, Said had been bumped out of the lineup by GEM teammate Scott Riggs, who was the final "go or go home" car to attempt.

Even more strangely, Riggs' car was too low the first time it passed through the same height inspection station. But after what crew chief Rodney Childers said was a standard re-check, the car passed by three-eighths of an inch.

"We went out 47th [of 49 cars] and most of the 'go or go home' cars they just parked 'em on pit road and waited a long time [before taking them through inspection]," Childers said. "This is one of the tracks where you run a lot of rebound in the front shocks and soft springs in the front and it just takes a few minutes to come up after you come off the track.

"Basically, when we came off the track they just pulled us straight in there at the height sticks and it was a little bit low on the left-front. So they just let us go around the building and give it a little bit of time to come up, like everybody else had time. We came back around and it was plenty good enough and in the green [a legal measurement].

"It's just one of those deals with the shocks that you run here."

In June, Brian Vickers' Team Red Bull Toyota was too low in the left-front, its time was disallowed and BAM's car, driven that weekend by Chad Chaffin, was placed into the lineup.

And as was the case in June with Vickers, Andretti said he could feel no difference in his car in qualifying than when he practiced, when he was 16th on the time sheet.

"You can't feel it -- there's no advantage to it," Andretti said. "But it's a rule. We did our job, and it's unfortunate that something like that happened. We didn't do anything wrong -- it was just a technicality."

But no technicality about it -- Said was ecstatic when he "made" his first non-restrictor plate, non-speedway Cup race in more than two years, he said. To make him feel even better, twice this season Said's own No Fear Racing team had appeared to be qualified for races when sessions were rained out, sending him home.

"I guess that's from living right and the stuff that happened at Daytona and Watkins Glen," Said said. "When you look at it, only 43 guys get to run these races every weekend, and it's tough.

"For a guy like me, who hasn't run an open-plate motor on a track in more than two years, to come here with limited track time is really tough. You look at the field and it's so good. My qualifying lap was the best lap I've run all weekend, so I was really happy with it."

Junior likes teammate in Chase
Dale Earnhardt Jr. addressed a number of topics Friday morning at New Hampshire, and one of them was his favorite to win the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Not surprisingly, he chose DEI teammate Martin Truex Jr.

"Well, I pick Martin to win anytime anybody asks me," Earnhardt said. "I think Martin's team is competitive enough. From what I'm seeing from the competition and I think the way Martin runs and his abilities and how competitive his team has become over the year, I think that he has the chance.

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"He has as good and probably a better chance than he even believes he has -- so really it comes down to trying to minimize your mistakes. And I've learned that the hard way a couple times. You can't have any part failures and you got to minimize the mistakes that you make as a driver.

"The team will do their job and the cars will be competitive for Martin so he's got a good shot. He's my pick to win it."

Harvick digging in
Kevin Harvick won the season-opening Daytona 500, but then had to scramble to get into the Chase for the Nextel Cup as the 12th and final qualifier. He said doing well at New Hampshire on Sunday is no guarantee, but not doing well can doom his 2007 title hopes.

"We won this race last year and didn't win the championship -- so I think it's all about 10 weeks, it's not about one week. It's not about the first week; it's not about the last week -- it's about all 10."

But Harvick did say that his previous success at NHIS works in his favor as he looks at the Chase kickoff.

"Just go try to win," Harvick said. "We need to capitalize on our strengths; this is one of our strengths. And you've got to capitalize on the good days and you've got to make the bad days into decent days. So that's what it's going to take to win.

"Everybody's got to pick it up a notch and be as focused as we've all ever been. Just see what happens in the end. You've got to be aggressive and if you're not, somebody else is going to be -- in all departments. Jimmie [Johnson] came back and won last year but this field is pretty deep with competition. I think the guy who wins it is really going to have 10 good weeks this year."

Hamlin says Toyota will be competitive
Denny Hamlin says he feels no urgency to win a championship this season because of his Joe Gibbs Racing organization's switch next season to Toyota.

"We don't see this as the end of our winning days at the end of this year. We're going to be just as competitive next year, without a doubt -- without a doubt we will be just as competitive," said Hamlin, who is seeded sixth in the Chase. "I think that it's going to take some time to make us to where we're championship contenders, where the No. 24 and No. 48 are every single year. But we're not at that level right now.

"I feel like those guys can run 75 percent and that's my 100 percent. Their cars are just really good right now. That can change over the offseason. I think as long as we do our homework we're going to come back just as strong, if not stronger next year."

Lazier next 500 champ to NASCAR
Billy Ballew Motorsports announced that former Indy Racing League champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Lazier will drive its No. 15 Chevrolet Silverado in the Sept. 22 Craftsman Truck Series race at Las Vegas.

Lazier, a former International Race of Champions runner-up, previously tested one of Ballew's trucks at Lowe's Motor Speedway in 2005.

"IROC really was an eye-opener for me into the world of stock-car racing," Lazier said. "Racing with the best in the Nextel Cup and Busch Series, as well as other race drivers, was a blast. It was probably the most fun racing experience for me in my 20 years of professional motorsports [and] I've been trying to find the right opportunity since then."

His test with Ballew was part of that.

"I was pretty cautious but our times were comparable to the other trucks on the track and I knew I wanted to race for that team some day. The opportunity arose for us to race in Las Vegas and I am extremely excited. They are racers on that team and to me it's a perfect fit -- I feel right at home with the whole team.

"I'll be studying up on last year's race this week and be looking forward to a lot of seat time during practice. I look forward to a good start and finish and see what develops from there. Obviously, I'd love to continue racing in a top-tier NASCAR series and hope I can make a good start next week in Las Vegas."