Rockingham: Marlin, Spencer qualifying report

Sterling Marlin / Jimmy Spencer
Chip Ganassi Racing With Felix Sabates
Subway 400 Qualifying Results

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (February 22, 2002)– During NASCAR Winston Cup qualifying on Friday, Feb. 22, the No. 40 Coors Light and No. 41 Target teams of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates both secured top-15 starting positions for the Subway 400 at North Carolina Speedway. The Coors Light Dodge and the Target Dodge were the two fastest Dodges in the 46-car qualifying field.

Sterling Marlin, driver of the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge Intrepid R/T, ran a 23.729-second lap time (154.292 mph), placing him in the sixth starting position for Sunday’s Subway 400. Marlin’s only other top-10 starting position at North Carolina Speedway was when he grabbed the fourth starting spot in 1987.

“ We’ve been loose all day,” Marlin said. “That’s the best the car has drove the whole time. We’ve still got a little way to go to get the car ready for the race, but it was a pretty good run for the Coors Light Dodge. I’ve never qualified good here, but we’ll race good. I like this track a lot. You can run up against the wall, in the middle and on the bottom. It’s a pretty challenging track.”

Jimmy Spencer, driver of the No. 41 Target Dodge Intrepid R/T, ran a fast lap of 23.827 seconds (153.658 mph), placing the Target Dodge 12th in the lineup. This is Spencer’s best start at North Carolina Speedway; his previous best was 14th in 1996.

“ The guys did a good job,” Spencer said. “ We tested down here and qualified good, and I think the car is going to be really good in the race. That was a good lap. We were a little too free, but I’d rather be free than pushing here. If you push you’re not going to get a very good lap.”

The Subway 400 from North Carolina Speedway will be broadcast on FOX on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 12:30 p.m., e.s.t.

-cgr-