All News Bobby Labonte Carl Edwards David Reutimann Elliott Sadler Jimmie Johnson Jimmy Spencer Kurt Busch Mark Martin Ryan Newman Tony Stewart

Charlotte Qualifying Notes:

October 13, 2005 at 12:00 AM

• Elliott Sadler won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Bud Pole for the UAW-GM Quality 500, lapping Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 27.948 seconds at 193.216 mph. He broke Ryan Newman’s the track-qualifying record of 27.981 seconds, 192.988 mph, set May 26, 2005.
• Lowe’s Motor Speedway remains the sixth-quickest track with regards to qualifying records. This is the fastest Bud Pole since Ryan Newman qualified at 194.232 mph at Michigan in June and the third fastest of the season behind Michigan and Texas (Newman – 194.690 mph).
• This is Sadler’s sixth career Bud Pole in 244 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races.
• This is his fourth Bud Pole and 17th top-10 start in 2005. Sadler trails only Ryan Newman (six) in Bud Pole Awards this season.
• This is Sadler’s first Bud Pole and eighth top-10 start in 15 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, including each of the past six races.
• Ryan Newman posted the second-quickest qualifying lap of 27.961 seconds, 193.126 mph – and will join Sadler on the front row for the UAW-GM Quality 500. Only Sadler and Newman broke the previous track qualifying record. Newman has never started worse than fourth in 10 races at Lowe’s. This is his series-leading 25th top-10 start this season and his 11th on the front row.
• This is the eight Bud Pole for Ford in 2005 – including the past three races. Chevrolet has 12 Bud Poles and Dodge has nine. Qualifying was canceled at Dover in June and Watkins Glen.
• Jimmie Johnson (third) has posted seven top-10 starts in nine races at Charlotte. This is his 19th top-10 start this season.
• Tony Stewart (fourth) has 10 top-10 starts in his 14 races at Charlotte. He has 17 top-10 starts in 2005.
• Bobby Labonte (fifth) has 13 top-10 starts in 26 races at Charlotte, including three Bud Poles, but this is just his second in the past eight races here.
• Six of the 10 Chase drivers qualified in the top 10: Newman, Johnson, Stewart, Mark Martin (sixth) Kurt Busch (seventh) and Carl Edwards (eighth).
• David Reutimann (26th) qualified for his career-first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race, becoming the ninth first-time starter this season.
• There have been only four different Bud Pole winners in the 10 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races at Charlotte since 2000. Ryan Newman (five) and Jimmie Johnson (three) have dominated Bud Pole qualifying at Lowe’s. Sadler and Jimmy Spencer (one each) have the other Bud Poles in the 10-race period and qualifying was canceled once.
• The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway has been won 13 times each from the pole and the second starting position. Third has produced 12 winners, fourth seven and fifth eight for a total of 57 percent of the victories races from the top-five starting positions (53 of 93).
• Six of the last 17 races at Charlotte have been won from the front row, but six of the last 12 have been won from a starting position of 13th or worse.(NASCAR Statisical Services)(10-13-2005)