Drivers Find Different Ways To Pass Time
HAMPTON, Ga. -- Most of NASCAR's Nextel Cup drivers found themselves with time on their hands Saturday.
The Cup schedule at Atlanta Motor Speedway this week called for practice and qualifying Friday and the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 on Sunday, with NASCAR impounding the cars between the end of time trials and the start of the race.
Some drivers entered in the Cup race did stay busy at the track Saturday, with Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Hamilton and Martin Truex Jr. entered in the IROC race and Hamilton, Bobby Labonte, Kyle Busch, Mike Bliss and Mike Skinner driving in Saturday's Craftsman Truck Series race. But everyone else in Sunday's 43-car field had the day off.
Rusty Wallace, in his final season before retirement, was looking forward to the respite, although he had lots of plans for the free day.
"I'm going to watch a little of the truck race and talk to a prospective new sponsor," said Wallace, who also owns a Busch team and is helping son Stephen get his racing career going. "Then my kid bought a house in Atlanta to rebuild to try to make some money on.
"I've never seen it yet, so I'm going over to look at it. He's got it all done and it's for sale. The rest of the day, I might play nine holes of golf. Then, I'm going to have a nice early dinner at my favorite Italian joint."
Wallace and Penske Racing South don't agree on much these days, and the day off is no exception. Teammate Newman isn't particularly happy about it.
"It's a waste of time," he said. "Why not just come here for Saturday and Sunday? It's just a ridiculous waste of time, especially with our schedule."
Elliott Sadler is more positive about the situation.
"I like impound races because I'm going to sleep very good tonight and tomorrow night because I know we can't touch the car," he said Friday after qualifying. "I don't have to worry about changing a spring or a shock or a swaybar or what have you."
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