Ryan Newman won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Bud Pole for the Neighborhood Excellence 400 presented by Bank of America, lapping Dover International Speedway in 23.281 seconds at 154.633 mph. Jeremy Mayfield holds the track-qualifying record of 22.288 seconds, 161.522 mph – set June 4, 2004.
This is Newmans 36th career Bud Pole in 165 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races.
This is his first Bud Pole and fourth top-10 start in 2006. It is his third front-row start this season.
Newman posted his eighth top10 start in nine races at Dover. He has finished in the top-10 seven of his eight previous races, including three victories.
Newman ended a streak of 14 races without a Bud Pole which tied the longest of his career. He posted his career-first Bud Pole in his third career start (qualifying for the Coca- Cola 600 at Charlotte in May 2001) – prior to his official rookie season. He went 14 races before scoring his second Bud Pole, which occurred at California in April 2002.
Jeremy Mayfield posted the second-quickest qualifying lap of 23.322 seconds, 154.361 mph and will join Newman on the front row for the Neighborhood Excellence 400. Mayfield posted his 10th top-10 start in 24 races at Dover. He has three Bud Poles here. Mayfields best finish in his 23 previous Dover races was second in September 2003.
This is the sixth Bud Pole for Dodge in 2006, including the past three races. Chevrolet and Ford each have three. Qualifying was canceled at Bristol. This is the fourth all-Dodge front row of the season.
Jeff Gordon (third) posted his fourth top-10 start in 2006. Gordon posted his 17th top-10 start in 27 races Dover. Gordon has 16 top-10 finishes, including four victories at Dover.
Thirty-six of seventy races at Dover have been won from the top-three starting positions.
Kurt Busch (fourth) has eight top-10 starts in 12 races at Dover. His best finish here was fifth in September 2004.
Kevin Harvick (fifth) posted his third top-10 start in 2006 and his fourth in 11 Dover races.
Four drivers failed to qualify for the Neighborhood Excellence 400: Stanton Barrett, Carl Long, Chad Chaffin, and Donnie Neuenberger.
Ricky Rudd (10th) qualified the Home Depot Chevrolet for Tony Stewart. Stewart is expected to start the race. Rudd posted 19 top-10 starts, including four Bud Poles, in his 55 previous races at Dover and started outside the top-20 just seven times.
The most recent time a relief driver was used was in June 2005 when Brendan Gaughan relieved Mike Bliss #0 NetZero Chevrolet on lap 30 of the 200-lap event.
The most recent time a relief driver won a race was in August 1977, when Darrell Waltrip relieved Donnie Allison and won the August race at Talladega.(NASCAR Statistical Services)(6-2-2006)
