QUALIFYING DAY REPORT
AARON'S 499
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY, TALLADEGA, ALABAMA
FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2003

PRACTICE INFORMATION:

Rusty was down in Louisiana for an appearance yesterday afternoon and didn't get here into the Anniston area until early evening. But he was out at the track more than two hours before practice started to participate in a launch for the new "Ultimate NASCAR Experience" promotion for VISA.

Most of the talk here at Talladega Superspeedway this week has been centered around the strength of the Dale Earnhardt, Inc., race cars and whether drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip can continue to show the restrictor-plate prowess.

Most of the headlines here the last couple of days have been more specific: "Can Earnhardt Jr. Make It Four In A Row?" read the banner on most of the local dailies.

"The bottom line is that with their record, you have to look at the DEI cars as the odds-on favorites, but our teams are getting closer," Rusty reiterated here this morning in the media center. "The big deal will be to just get into a position to win. If we can hang in there with the leaders all day and get the pit stops and fuel mileage we need, it=92s definitely possible that we can win it. We just have to be there at the end in a position to really mix it up with the DEI guys, because you know that one or both of those cars will be there battling for the win."

The business at hand here today is practice and qualifying for Sunday's 188-lap, 499-mile race around this 2.66 mammoth facility.

The two-hour session begin as scheduled at 11:00 a.m. and after the first hour, it was evident that the DEI cars had not missed a beat since Michael Waltrip won the last restrictor-plate race in the season-opening Daytona 500. After the first hour of practice, Earnhardt had registered the fastest lap at a 51.192. Closest to his lap was Jeff Gordon's 51.528, more than three tenths of a second slower. Elliott Sadler was third with a 51.546, Jimmie Johnson fourth with a 51.581 and Ricky Rudd fifth with a 51.611. Rusty's Penske temmate Ryan Newman, fresh off his big win at Texas last Sunday, was 14th with a 51.882, while Rusty's 52.080 was 23rd on the speed chart.

A passing shower briefly halted practice with some five minutes remaining, but that was the only thing able to damper the No. 8 car's momentum here. As practice ended, it was still Earnahrdt's early lap atop the board. Johnson had climbed to second with a 51.296, while Gordon's 51.337 was third, Sadler's 51.414 fourth and Sterling Marlin's 51.495 fifth. Ryan's earlier lap was 19th, while Rusty's 51.982 was 22nd.

Ryan is the first of 46 competitors expected to make runs against the clock in the qualifying session slated to begin at 3:05 p.m. Gordon is scheduled out 11th, with Waltrip 21st, Sadler 23rd, Earnhardt 27th, Johnson 29th, Marlin 30th and Rusty 32nd.

Ryan kicked off the session with a respectable 51.648 (185.409 mph). Kevin Harvick, out next, turned in a 51.438 to take the top spot until Jeremy Mayfield, out seventh in the order, ran a 51.349 (186.489 mph).

Little did Mayfield know that some two hours and forty-five minutes and a brief rain delay later, that would be fast enough to take the pole. It was fast enough to beat Sadler's 51.471 and enough to better Johnson's 51.609. It beat the 51.807, which was all that Earnhardt could muster. Rusty could only turn in a 52.163 (193.578 mph). Bill Elliott, with a 51. 496, was fastest of the late qualifiers, but he also fell short of overtaking his Evernham Racing teammate.

So with darkness pending, it was Mayfield celebrating taking the pole, with Harvick second, Sadler third, Jeff Gordon fourth and Elliott fifth. David Green starts sixth, with Robby Gordon seventh, Johnson eighth Ryan ninth and Mark Martin 10th. Rusty will start Sunday's race in the 32nd starting spot.

Sunday's Aaron's 499 has a 12:00 noon local starting time and features live coverage by FOX-TV and MRN Radio.

RUSTY'S QUOTES:

RUSTY WALLACE (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Intrepid)
"It was wide open all the way around. I thought I could run a little faster, but it seems like every time everything calms down and you go back out, I lose instead of gain a little something. I think it'll draft real good Sunday. It's the same deal. I'm use to this."