Bristol Qualifying Report

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge
August 22, 2008
.533-mile Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway

QUALIFYING RESULTS:
1. Carl Edwards, Ford
2. David Reutimann, Toyota
3. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
4. Regan Smith, Chevrolet
5. Bill Elliot, Ford
29. Kyle Petty, No. 45 Wells Fargo Dodge
35. Bobby Labonte, No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge

Carl Edwards, fresh off of his win last weekend at Michigan, grabbed the pole for Saturday night’s Sharpie 500 at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (BMS). David Reutimann will start alongside on the front row.

While night racing has become commonplace around the Sprint Cup Series, BMS helped start the fascination with racing under the lights. This weekend marks the 30th anniversary of the first night race at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile.”

Bobby Labonte and the No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team will start the event from the 37th position. Labonte finished 8th in the 2007 version of this race. The team is looking to get back to their mid-season form of a couple of weeks ago. Even though he will have to come from the back to do it, Labonte is confident in his team.

“The track didn’t feel like it had any grip in it at all,” stated Labonte. “Setup-wise it felt okay, but it was really sliding around. We’ll race at night and that alone will help the track pick up some grip. The final practice session tonight will be crucial because it will be close to race conditions.”

Saturday night’s race will be televised live on ESPN. It will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network (PRN) and Sirius Channel 128. Pre-race coverage is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. (EST).