Busch Pushes Dodge To Take The Glen Pole

 

The first NASCAR Nextel Cup practice of the day at Watkins Glen gave little indication of the dominant qualifying session that took place later in the day.

But dominant they did.

First Dodge, then Chevrolet.The Dodges were led by Kurt Busch's Miller Lite Dodge who won sixth career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Bud Pole, lapping the circuit in 71.727 seconds at 122.966 mph. Though quick, Busch was still over a second off Jeff Gordon's track qualifying record of 70.798 seconds.

Beside Busch on row one will be fellow Dodge driver Kasey Kahne who posted the second-quickest qualifying lap of 72.387 seconds, 121.845 mph. It is his 14th top-10 start in 2006 and his career-best road-course start.

But the Dodge contigent wasn't through. Ryan Newman's Alltel Dodge was third quick.Behind the Dodges began a string of Chevrolets. Not just one, or two or even three Chevys. But eight Chevrolets in a row, holding down the fourth through 11th qualifying positions.

The No. 24 DuPont car with Jeff Gordon at the wheel was fourth, followed by Brickyard 400 winner Jimmie Johnson who qualified fifth. Greg Biffle posted his worst start of the season (41st) and tied his career-worst start, which was also on a road course (Infineon – 2005). He failed to qualify in the top-10 for just the seventh time this season, but the fifth in the past six races.

Seven drivers failed to qualify for the AMD at the Glen: Chris Cook, Max Papis, Tom Hubert, Dave Murry, Dale Quarterly, Johnny Miller, and Brandon Ash.
The starting grid for Watkins Glen