All News Dale Earnhardt Dale Jarrett Dave Blaney Greg Biffle Jeff Fultz Jeff Green Jimmy Spencer John Andretti Johnny Benson Johnny Sauter Kerry Earnhardt Kevin Harvick Kyle Busch Mark Green Paul Menard Robby Gordon Tim Sauter Tony Stewart Ward Burton

Green fastest in testing Tues at Lowe’s:

May 11, 2004 at 12:00 AM
  • Jeff Green led the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series speed parade while NASCAR Busch Series drivers Paul Menard and Tim Sauter tested Lowe’s Motor Speedway’s new SAFER Barriers Tuesday as testing continued at the 1.5-mile superspeedway. It’s been 38 years since a Petty Enterprises #43 has started from the pole for the Coca-Cola 600, but Green showed the team will once again be a contender during CTC Pole Night qualifying on Thursday, May 27. Shortly after sunset, the unofficial stopwatches caught Green with a lap of 29.602 seconds, 182.420 mph, to top the 16 NEXTEL Cup Series drivers making final preparations for the May 30 Coca-Cola 600.
    Dave Blaney, who has two Busch Series poles at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, was fast for the second straight day, posting an unofficial lap of 182.174 mph in Bill Davis’ unsponsored #23 Dodge. Blaney’s night nearly turned sour late in the session when he brushed the outside wall in turn four, but the damage was only cosmetic. Ward Burton, who opted to skip the Monday session, was third fastest at 181.616mph in the #0 NetZero Chevrolet with Jimmy Spencer fourth on the speed chart at 180.463 mph in the #4 Morgan-McClure Chevrolet. John Andretti rounded out the “fast five” at 180.120 mph in the #1 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet. Interestingly, three of the five fastest NEXTEL Cup Series cars do not have full-time sponsors. 1996 Coca-Cola 600 winner Dale Jarrett slapped the SAFER Barriers in turn four just before the session ended at 10 p.m. and Jeff Fultz backed into the same spot just before 8 p.m. Both men were able to drive their cars back to the garage area.
    Testing continues Wednesday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and fans can watch the action from the main grandstand free of charge. IPOWER DASH Series drivers will be on the track from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with ARCA RE/MAX Series teams testing for the May 27 Quaker Steak & Lube 100 from 5 to 10 p.m.
    Tickets for all May events at Lowe’s Motor Speedway are still available and can be obtained online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or by calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS.
    Unofficial NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series testing speeds:
     Jeff Green, 182.420mph
    #23-Dave Blaney, 182.174
    #0-Ward Burton, 181.616
    #4-Jimmy Spencer, 180.463
    #1-John Andretti, 180.120
    #20-Tony Stewart, 179.982
    #16-Greg Biffle, 179,146
    #96-Johnny Benson, 178.897
    #29-Kevin Harvick, 178.083
    #84-Kyle Busch, 178.042
    #88-Dale Jarrett, 177.264
    #31-Robby Gordon, 176.442
    #33-Kerry Earnhardt, 175.999
    #44-Mark Green, 175.012
    #30-Johnny Sauter, 174.814
    #78-Jeff Fultz, 172.789.(LMS PR)(5-11-2004)