All News Bobby Labonte Jeff Gordon Joe Nemechek Johnny Benson Kasey Kahne Kyle Busch Mike Bliss Ryan Newman Stuart Kirby

Michigan Qualifyings Notes:

August 21, 2005 at 12:00 AM

• Joe Nemechek won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Bud Pole for the GFS Marketplace 400, lapping Michigan International Speedway in 37.582 seconds at 191.581 mph. Ryan Newman holds the track-qualifying record of 37.069 seconds, 194.232 mph, set June 18, 2005.
• This is Nemechek’s ninth career Bud Pole in 381 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races.
• This is Nemechek’s first Bud Pole at Michigan and comes in his 24th race here. It is his first top-10 start in his last 10 races at Michigan. His best Michigan finish was sixth in June 2005.
• Nemechek became the 14th different Bud Pole winner this season.
• There have been seven different Bud Pole winners in the past 10 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Michigan. Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte (two each) are the repeat Bud Pole winners in the 10-race period. Qualifying was canceled in August 2004.
• Jeff Gordon posted the second-quickest qualifying lap of 37.627 seconds, 191.362 mph – and will join Nemechek on the front row for the GFS Marketplace 400. Gordon has started from a top-10 starting position in 17 of his 26 races at Michigan. It is his 10th top-10 start in 2005.
• This is the 10th Bud Pole for Chevrolet in 2005. Dodge has eight Bud Poles and Ford has three. Qualifying was canceled at Dover and Watkins Glen.
• Kasey Kahne (third) posted his 11th top-10 start in 2005 and his second in four races at Michigan – both this season.
• Kyle Busch (fourth) scored his first top-10 start in two races at Michigan.
• Ryan Newman (fifth) posted his Series-leading 20th top-10 start this season. It is his seventh top-10 start in nine races at Michigan.
• Mike Bliss (sixth) posted his career-best start in his 58 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races. It is also his best in 2005 and his fourth top-10 start this season. It is his first start better than 12th in six races at Michigan.
• Stuart Kirby (21st) posted the best qualifying effort of his six-race NASCAR NEXTEL Cup career. His previous best start was 23rd at Charlotte in October 2001, in his career-first start. This will be his third race in 2005. His career-best finish (37th) came at Chicago this past July.
• Johnny Benson (34th) qualified for his first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race since Talladega on April 25, 2004.(NASCAR Statistical Services)(8-21-2005)