Phoenix: Rusty Wallace Thursday notes

DAVID STREMME PACES FIRST PRACTICE IN PHOENIX
Teammate Steve Wallace and Team 66 Also Among Top-15

AVONDALE, AZ (April 10, 2008)--Team Atreus Homes & Communities Rusty Wallace Racing driver, David Stremme and his No. 64 team posted the fastest time in this afternoon's first practice for Friday night's Bashas' Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. Stremme's best lap of 27.570 seconds (130.577 MPH) occurred on his 29th--and final--lap of the session.

Noted Stremme, "My guys have given me a really good car this weekend, both in race trim and qualifying trim. We didn't want to run too much of the early session, just because the temperatures are a lot different than they're probably going to be tomorrow night. With that said though, I think we were able to get the setup close enough that we're going to be able to fine tune on it tonight in happy hour."

Stremme's teammate, No. 66--Steve Wallace, was also among the top-15 in this morning's session. Wallace's best lap of 28.012 seconds (128.516 MPH) came on the 24th of his 32 laps in the session. That lap placed his No. 66 Atreus Homes & Communities Chevrolet 15th fastest of the 40+ cars taking time in the session.

Said Wallace, "Our car is pretty good, but we still have some work to do in happy hour tonight. Our guys are working hard though, so we'll get there. We weren't able to make a qualifying run in the first practice, so we're not as high up on the speed chart as we probably should be. Because of the temperatures, tonight's session should be a lot better predictor of who the guys to beat tomorrow night will be."

-credit: rwr