All News Bobby Labonte Brendan Gaughan Brian Vickers Carl Long Dale Jarrett Derrike Cope Greg Biffle Jamie McMurray Jeff Gordon Kasey Kahne Kirk Shelmerdine Kurt Busch Kyle Busch Larry Gunselman Mark Martin Morgan Shepherd Raybestos Rookie Ryan Newman Scott Wimmer Sterling Marlin

Qualifying Notes:

March 6, 2004 at 12:00 AM
  • Kasey Kahne won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Bud Pole for the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400, lapping Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 30.874 seconds at 174.904 mph. He broke Bobby Labonte;s track-qualifying record of 31.211 seconds, 173.016 mph, set Feb. 28, 2003. Fifteen drivers posted speeds quicker than Labonte’s speed.
    This is Kahne’s first career Bud Pole in just three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races tying Mark Martin and Ryan Newman for the quickest that a driver has won a Bud Pole in the modern era [1972-present]
    A Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year candidate has won a Bud Pole in each of the last nine years (1996-2004).
    The most recent driver to win a Bud Pole in his first start was Dick Hutcherson at Greenville- Pickens Speedway in March 1964.
    Kurt Busch had the second-fastest time with a qualifying lap of 30.937 seconds at 174.548 mph and will join Kahne on the front row. It is his fourth top-10 start in his four races at Las Vegas.
    This is the second Bud Pole for Dodge in 2004. Ford has the other Bud Pole this season.
    Brian Vickers (third) and Brendan Gaughan (eighth) joined Kahne as three Rookie-of-the-Year candidates to post top-10 starts today.
    Jamie McMurray (fourth) and Greg Biffle (ninth) are the only drivers with three top-10 starts in 2004. It is McMurray’s first top-10 start in two races at Las Vegas and the first time Biffle has qualified here.
    Ryan Newman (fifth) posted his second top-10 start in 2004 and his third top-five start in his four races at Las Vegas.
    Kyle Busch (18th) qualified for his career-first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race.
    Scott Wimmer, Derrike Cope and Carl Long used provisionals to make the field. Kirk Shelmerdine made the field based on qualifying attempts this season while Morgan Shepherd reverted to qualifying time to complete the 43-car field. Only one driver failed to qualify for the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400: Larry Gunselman.
    There have been five different Bud Pole winners in seven races at Las Vegas. Dale Jarrett (1998 and 2001) and Bobby Labonte (1999 and 2003) are the only repeat Bud Pole winners at Las Vegas.
    Only one of the six NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Las Vegas has been won from a top-10 starting position, the inaugural race in 1998 (Mark Martin’s seventh).
    The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Las Vegas was 24th by Jeff Gordon in 2001 and again by Sterling Marlin in 2002.(NASCAR Statistical Services)(3-6-2004)