Full Throttle

A new track surface brought the track record crashing down during NASCAR Busch Series qualifying Thursday at Richmond International Raceway. The 3/4-mile track underwent a resurfacing in the off-season and the new asphalt translated into high speeds, with rookie Kyle Busch leading a group of 14 drivers to best the previous track record (126.868 mph set in 2002 by Dale Earnhardt Jr.).

Busch’s lap at 129.348 mph gave him his third pole of the season and the top starting position in Friday night’s Funai 250 (7:30 p.m. Eastern, FX).

Jamie McMurray was second and Bobby Hamilton Jr. third. Casey Atwood and Jason Leffler completed the top-five. Series points leader Martin Truex Jr. will start 17th.

“We were mainly working on race runs, but the car was really good in qualifying (set-up) as well. The (first) lap was pretty smooth. The second lap I screwed up, so that wasn’t going be a pole-winning lap,” Busch said.

Busch, 19, and his Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet team have been in position to win several times this season, but are still looking for their first trip to Victory Lane.

“These guys want to get it done. It’s probably harder on the team than it is for me, because I’m just a rookie,” Busch said. “I try to do what I can out there every week.” A win “is just around the corner, we all know that. It’s just a matter of time.”

Several drivers predict the new surface may not provide as good a quality of racing this weekend, as drivers will tend to stay in the lower, faster racing groove, rather than move up the track.

“Every time you pave a race track, it’s hard to get a second (racing) groove,” Busch said. “Sometimes it takes two years before you can move up (the track). It may take rooting some guys out of the way in order to pass.”

Source: ThatsRacin.com

Funai 250 qualifying results

1. (5) Kyle Busch #, Chevrolet, 129.348 mph.
2. (1) Jamie McMurray, Dodge, 129.211 mph.
3. (25) Bobby Hamilton Jr., Ford, 128.891 mph.
4. (14) Casey Atwood, Chevrolet, 128.096 mph.
5. (00) Jason Leffler, Chevrolet, 128.011 mph.
6. (87) Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 127.944 mph.
7. (46) Ashton Lewis Jr., Chevrolet, 127.901 mph.
8. (21) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 127.641 mph.
9. (38) Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 127.407 mph.
10. (55) Robby Gordon, Chevrolet, 127.191 mph.
11. (30) David Stremme, Dodge, 127.161 mph.
12. (20) Mike Bliss, Chevrolet, 127.149 mph.
13. (74) Tony Raines, Chevrolet, 127.119 mph.
14. (18) J.J. Yeley #, Chevrolet, 126.892 mph.
15. (23) Kenny Wallace, Chevrolet, 126.850 mph.
16. (22) Jason Keller, Ford, 126.844 mph.
17. (8) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 126.755 mph.
18. (47) Robert Pressley, Ford, 126.493 mph.
19. (12) Tim Fedewa, Chevrolet, 126.476 mph.
20. (27) Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, 126.322 mph.
21. (60) Greg Biffle, Ford, 126.215 mph.
22. (99) Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet, 126.021 mph.
23. (75) Jay Sauter, Chevrolet, 125.845 mph.
24. (2) Ron Hornaday Jr., Chevrolet, 125.786 mph.
25. (59) Stacy Compton, Ford, 125.769 mph.
26. (4) Mike Wallace, Ford, 125.500 mph.
27. (24) Todd Bodine, Chevrolet, 125.366 mph.
28. (02) Hermie Sadler, Chevrolet, 125.342 mph.
29. (31) Dave Blaney, Ford, 125.174 mph.
30. (37) David Green, Pontiac, 125.064 mph.
31. (28) Mark Green, Ford, 125.012 mph.
32. (49) Derrike Cope, Ford, 124.453 mph.
33. (44) Justin Labonte, Dodge, 124.412 mph.
34. (32) Mike Garvey, Chevrolet, 124.355 mph.
35. (88) Jeff Fuller, Chevrolet, 124.132 mph.
36. (33) Paul Menard #, Chevrolet, 124.075 mph.
37. (6) Scott Lynch, Dodge, 122.510 mph.
38. (56) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 122.405 mph.
39. (77) Brad Teague, Ford, 122.200 mph.
40. (51) Morgan Shepherd, Ford, Provisional.
41. (72) Jason White, Chevrolet, Provisional.
42. (39) Andy Ponstein, Ford, Provisional.
43. (36) Travis Geisler #, Chevrolet, Provisional.

4 drivers failed to qualify.

44. (94) Eddie Beahr, Ford, 118.629 mph.
45. (90) Chad Beahr, Dodge, 113.113 mph.
46. (10) Gus Wasson, Chevrolet, Provisional.
47. (53) Butch Jarvis, Chevrolet,