All wet

Waltrip waits out delay, wins pole for Hardee's 250

Hardee's 250 Richmond International Raceway Pl.  No.  Driver  Car  Speed  1  99  Michael Waltrip  Chevrolet  125.523 mph.  2  57  Jason Keller  Ford  125.377  3  59  Stacy Compton  Chevrolet  124.798  4  48  Shane Hmiel  Chevrolet  124.625  5  2  Ron Hornaday Jr.  Chevrolet  124.619  6  81  Martin Truex Jr.  Chevrolet  124.567  7  10  Scott Riggs  Ford  124.138  8  38  Kasey Kahne  Ford  123.938  9  7  Randy LaJoie  Chevrolet  123.870  10  43  Johnny Sauter  Chevrolet  123.836  11  37  David Green  Pontiac  123.774  12  26  Kevin Grubb  Dodge  123.706  13  20  Mike Bliss  Chevrolet  123.536  14  87  Joe Nemechek  Chevrolet  123.429  15  21  Kevin Harvick  Chevrolet  123.282  16  92  Todd Bodine  Chevrolet  122.968  17  60  Stanton Barrett  Ford  122.900  18  75  Jay Sauter  Chevrolet  122.817  19  00  Troy Cline  Chevrolet  122.577  20  4  Mike Wallace  Chevrolet  122.555  21  5  Brian Vickers  Chevrolet  122.299  22  27  Joey Clanton  Pontiac  122.283  23  25  Bobby Hamilton Jr.  Ford  122.233  24  1  David Stremme  Dodge  122.050  25  23  Scott Wimmer  Chevrolet  122.050  26  31  Dave Blaney  Chevrolet  121.979  27  56  Tim Sauter  Chevrolet  121.902  28  33  Tony Raines  Chevrolet  121.891  29  34  Mike McLaughlin  Chevrolet  121.836  30  22  Regan Smith  Chevrolet  121.753  31  78  Caleb Holman  Chevrolet  121.720  32  18  Coy Gibbs  Chevrolet  121.299  33  19  Chad Blount  Dodge  121.109  34  13  Carl Long  Dodge  121.071  35  54  Hermie Sadler  Chevrolet  120.697  36  12  Kerry Earnhardt  Chevrolet  120.649  37  46  Ashton Lewis Jr.  Chevrolet  Provisional  38  77  Brad Teague  Ford  Provisional  39  49  Chris Bingham  Ford  Provisional  40  16  Larry Gunselman  Chevrolet  Provisional  41  44  Mike Harmon  Chevrolet  Provisional  42  0  Morgan Shepherd  Chevrolet  Provisional  43  39  Jason White  Ford  Provisional        Did not qualify        44  28  Brad Baker  Dodge  120.434  45  91  Kenny Hendrick  Pontiac  120.187  46  61  Justin Ashburn  Chevrolet  118.074  47  72  Randy MacDonald  Chevrolet  117.126  48  84  Dion Ciccarelli  Chevrolet     49  01  Jason Rudd  Dodge

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Michael Waltrip won the pole for the Busch series race after water on the surface at Richmond International Raceway delayed qualifying for nearly four hours Thursday.

It was the Winston Cup regular's 14th career Busch pole and fifth on the three-quarter-mile oval where he won in 1990.

The session was delayed for 3 hours, 40 minutes because water from recent rainfall was seeping onto the track. The stoppage came after Dion Ciccarelli and Jason Rudd, the first two drivers to make runs, crashed before completing a lap.

After Rudd's crash, officials inspected the track, detected the water and began spreading drying agents in the areas where water was visible. They also cut narrow grooves in the surface, trying to disperse the water.

NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said the decision to qualify was made after consultation with several drivers, who were split on what to do.

"The whole idea is we have 49 cars here," he said after qualifying resumed. "We want all of them to have an opportunity to make the race."

Waltrip turned a fast lap of 125.523 mph in a Chevrolet to win the top spot on the grid for Friday night's Hardee's 250.

"I was a little surprised that we went that fast," Waltrip said. "I messed up three and four a little bit. Generally, if you mess up a turn, you can't get a pole. It's too tight, especially on a short track."

Waiting out the delay wasn't a problem, said the two-time and reigning Daytona 500 champion, who turned 40 Wednesday night.

"That's one advantage about being old," he said. "Nothing bothers me."

Defending race champion Jason Keller took the outside of the front row in a Ford. Next came the Chevys of Stacy Compton, Shane Hmiel, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. Scott Riggs was seventh in a Ford.

Kasey Kahne's Ford and the Chevys of Randy LaJoie and Johnny Sauter completed the top 10.

With more rain in the forecast for the weekend, Hunter said NASCAR and track officials would consider other measures, including cutting vertical 6-inch-wide grooves in the track, allowing the water to drain and filling the gaps with concrete.

Drainage ditches had to be dug last June when the surface at Pocono Raceway started oozing water after several days of heavy rain. Texas Motor Speedway had a similar problem several years ago.

Only one other driver, Ashton Lewis, had problems in the session. He spun in second turn before taking the green flag for his first lap.

The delay marked the start of what could turn into another long weekend at the track many NASCAR drivers say is their favorite. A year ago, a new sealer on the asphalt caused numerous tires to blister. That led Winston Cup star Rusty Wallace to suggest "black glue" had been used to seal the surface.

 

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