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Another dreary day Harvick on pole after Busch qualifying cancelled
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Rain delayed Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s return to the Busch Series, wiping out Friday's qualifying round for the Carquest 300 and forcing the two-time series champion to rely on a provisional to make the field. Earnhardt Jr., who won consecutive Busch Series titles in 1998 and 1999, will start 33rd in Saturday's race. "Nothing you can do about the weather," he said. The field was set based on the current points standings, meaning series leader Kevin Harvick will start from the pole. Jeff Green, the current champion, starts second and Greg Biffle is third. Earnhardt Jr. is returning to the Busch Series as a favor to Joe Nemechek, who was injured last week in a test session crash at Dover, Del. Thinking his Chevrolet was pretty strong at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Nemechek asked Earnhardt Jr. to step into the car for him and give it a shot. After some haggling for permission from officials at Dale Earnhardt Inc., his late father's company, Earnhardt accepted the ride. So when the green flag drops on Saturday, it will mark the first time in his career that Earnhardt Jr. will have competed in a car not owned by DEI. "It will be interesting to drive for somebody else," he said. "It's just one race and it's not a responsibility, really. I'm just here to have fun. "It's a no pressure situation. Joe's expectations aren't really high, but we're going to see what we can get." In his two-plus seasons in the Busch Series, Earnhardt had 13 wins and six poles. His last victory came in September 1999 at Richmond, Va. Meanwhile, the rain had several young drivers worried about their chances at making the field. Ricky Hendrick, son of Winston Cup car owner Rick Hendrick, is competing in his first Busch race of the year and wasn't sure if his car would get in. But Winston Cup driver Jeff Gordon won a Busch race in the car last season, earning owner points that Hendrick fell back on when qualifying was washed out. He'll start 37th but said he plans to get to the front of the field during the race. "Thanks to Jeff for getting us in this race, but it gives us something more to prove," Hendrick said. "You never like to start in the back, but we'll get up front, I can promise that." Steadman Marlin, son on Winston Cup driver Sterling Marlin, also needed a provisional to make his first-ever Busch race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He'll start 42nd. "I done got used to starting in the back," Marlin said. "We can't seem to get this qualifying thing figured out, so I just about accepted we were going to be in the back. We'll just have to hang in there and see if we can't avoid some wrecks and make it to the end."
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