Notes: Pruett dominant in both Mexico practice runs

MEXICO CITY -- Scott Pruett won the pole position last season in his first NASCAR race in Mexico, and with two top-two runs in practice at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, made notice he was ready for another. Not that he was limiting his aspirations to starting first in Sunday's Nationwide Series Corona Mexico 200.

"I hope it's a race-winning car," said Pruett, who was leading in the final laps a year ago before he and teammate Juan Montoya got together causing Pruett to spin and ultimately finish fifth. "The way we rolled the car off the truck this morning was exactly how I raced my car last year so, so far, so good."

Fast facts

What	Corona Mexico 200
When	Green, 2:22 p.m. ET Sunday
TV	ESPN/Deportes, 1:30 p.m. ET
Radio	MRN (Sirius Ch. 28), 2 p.m. ET

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Kyle Busch, who finished seventh here two years ago in his only appearance, never made a qualifying run, a team representative said, and was fourth in final practice.

Colin Braun, who was second in Happy Hour and third in the first practice, had a little different view.

"As far as qualifying goes, I think a lot of guys are going to tape up and try to go on a quick lap, right on Lap 1," Braun said. "With our situation [ineligible for a top 30 guaranteed starting spot] and having to qualify to be in the field, we can't put all our eggs in one basket on Lap 1; but I'll think we'll be pretty strong, even so."

Carl Edwards was fourth a year ago, but color him a little less than enthused after his No. 60 Roush Fenway Ford was 24th in the first practice and only improved to 18th in final practice.

"We didn't tape up and make a [qualifying] run but I don't know if we're a fourth-place car right now -- and it's a little frustrating," Edwards said after leaving a debriefing session with Braun, Boris Said and their crew chiefs. "I know it's not the car because Colin's running fast enough [so] it's not the car.

"I'm sure we can get it there because this has always been a good track for me from the first time we unloaded here, [three] years ago, or whenever it was. I think everybody's just stepped it up and I've got to step it up -- it takes me a little while to get going on a road course."

Said, who has a "loaner car" from full-time Nationwide Series Team Rensi Motorsports, like Pruett is anxious to get his first NASCAR win in a car, after he previously won a Truck Series road race in Sonoma, Calif.

"Frankie [Stoddard, No Fear Racing crew chief], and Rensi Racing -- they gave me a great car," Said said. "It's probably the best chance I've had to win, but I'm a little skeptical of the Toyotas, with this new [carburetor spacer] restrictor in there, or whatever they're calling it, the Toyotas really have an advantage down the straightaway.

"But I know Ford's been making a lot of progress. I think there's five guys that can really win this race and it's going to be tough. You never know. If we can be in position with five or 10 laps to go, we'll see what happens after that."

Braun to break out?

Veteran road racers and the hottest driver this season in the Sprint Cup Series say they might have to take a back seat in Sunday's Corona Mexico 200 to a kid with a total of six -- that's right, six -- NASCAR starts on his resume.

That would be Roush Fenway Racing's 19-year-old sensation in the making, Colin Braun. Braun's No. 16 Ford was third behind Busch and defending pole winner Pruett in the opening practice and runner-up to Pruett in the final practice.

Colin Bruan

Said has never finished worse than fifth in three previous starts at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Edwards has won three times this season in Cup and was fourth here last season.

"Right now, I'm leaning on Colin pretty hard," Edwards said bluntly. "He's a supernatural road racer, and he's going to be extremely tough to beat. I think he can win this race Sunday -- or whoever wins, is going to have to beat him."

Said has tutored some of the best drivers in NASCAR on road courses. He recently spent a day at Virginia International Raceway in Afton, Va., working with Braun, who has two consecutive second-place finishes here in Rolex Series races.

"It's depressing, you know, because I went and taught him a few weeks ago at VIR and now he kicks my [butt], you know?" Said smiled, as he spoke. "I kinda knew that was gonna happen because the kid is just unbelievable.

"He's kind of been flying under the radar up until now, but I think this is gonna be his breakout race. He'll definitely be at the front all day."

For his part, Braun was staying low-key Friday.

"These guys have built me a great car," Braun said. "The whole 3M Ford Fusion team's done a great job so far -- those guys have been working their butts off and we've got a fast car, for sure.

"It's going to come down to just taking care of it on Sunday, I think."

Tough corners

The Turn 7-8 complex in the "Esses" of the circuit's 2.518-mile course proved exceptionally brutal Friday, as three drivers damaged their cars there.

Less than 20 minutes into the opening session, rookie Landon Cassill got off course and slammed the left front of his No. 4 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet into the barrier, which he bounced along for a distance before the car came to a stop and briefly caught fire before Cassill bailed out.

Reutimann

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The youngster said he wasn't sure if a tire went down or "I just made a mistake," but the team was forced to pull out a back-up car for Saturday morning's pole qualifying session. Cassill got out for four laps and was 43rd of 47 cars in final practice.

After only two laps in the final practice, David Reutimann spun his No. 99 Toyota in the same complex and backed into the wall. He returned the car to the garage and the crew spent the rest of the afternoon rebuilding it so Reutimann, who was 11th in the opening practice, could qualify the same car.

Near the end of practice, Joe Fox, who skipped the first practice in Johnny Davis' No. 0 Chevrolet and was on his 10th lap, apparently misjudged Jason Keller's closing rate and turned into Keller's No. 11 CJM Motorsports Chevrolet exiting the 7-8 complex.

"I thought he was heading for the pits," Keller said. "I was on my normal line and when I turned into the corner, he turned and his left front wheel hit behind my front wheel. It's 1,000 percent not my fault, but at the end of the day, I hate it for Johnny Davis, who's just trying to put some racecars out here."

Keller's car, which was 11th in final practice, was undamaged while a Davis crewman said the team, which the owner's son Kertus Davis said had no backup car, would work on the car and try to get it ready to qualify.

The car had front and rear body damage and in fact, when the garage had thinned out, its entire rear body section had been removed.