Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Busch, Gaughan have different views

Friday, Feb. 13, 2004 | 9:54 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- One finishing position in Thursday's first 125-mile qualifying race for Sunday's Daytona 500 was the difference between elation and frustration for Las Vegas drivers Brendan Gaughan and Kurt Busch.

Busch, who will be competing in his fourth Daytona 500, finished seventh in the qualifier but said his No. 97 Sharpie Ford was nowhere ready to challenge for the win on Sunday.

Gaughan, on the other hand, finished one place behind Busch and couldn't have been happier with his first competitive laps in a Nextel Cup car on the historic 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.

"A lot of adjustments that we need to make with the new tire and the rear spoiler being so tall, it's making the cars very tight," Busch said. "I don't know if it's the Fords in general or the Chevrolets (too), I'm sure that everybody's got the same problem.

"It's just a matter of adjusting our car. I mean, we finished second last year (in the Daytona 500 and) all those notes are junk. We've got to go and search out the 97 Ford."

While Busch may be searching for answers before Sunday's race, Gaughan was thrilled with the way his No. 77 Kodak Dodge performed in the 50-lap qualifier.

"Absolutely, I'm pleased with it," Gaughan, a rookie, said of his finish. "We went from the back of the field and learned a lot. We were able to draft our way back up and get ourselves a decent start in the Daytona 500."

Gaughan will start 17th in his first Daytona 500 -- the highest starting position of the six Raybestos Rookies -- and Busch will start 15th.

Gaughan started 10th in the qualifier but slipped back to 21st with 22 laps remaining after having to stop twice during a mid-race caution period to replace some tape on the front grill. Drafting with fellow rookie and Dodge driver Kasey Kahne and the veteran Busch, Gaughan was able to move into the top 10 with five laps remaining.

Although rookie drivers rarely get drafting help from the veterans in restrictor-plate races, Gaughan said he had little trouble finding drafting partners in Thursday's qualifier.

"Actually, (the veterans) were all pretty good to me," he said. "We worked our way around some guys pretty good. It's pretty nice since I'm a little bit older than (the typical) Raybestos Rookie, it adds a little bit of experience.

"I got to race with a lot of these guys who stepped over to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, too, so hopefully I had a little bit of respect there and earned a little it more today."

"These guys are my heroes," Gaughan said of the soldiers who signed the helmet he wore while driving the No. 62 Orleans Racing Dodge last season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Gaughan said most of the soldiers who signed the helmet were stationed in and around the Baghdad Airport and some did not make it back to the States alive.

"These men and women are over there fighting and risking their lives so I can go out and have fun racing," he said. "That really puts what we do into perspective.

"This is a very special helmet that I'm going to wear in one race -- the Daytona 500 -- and then put in a trophy case."

Gordon was 39th out of 45 qualifiers on Sunday and finished 21st (out of 23 cars) in Thursday's first qualifying race. He was involved in a pit-road collision with rookie Kasey Kahne and finished a lap down.

The only other time Gordon had to use a provisional to get into the field for a race was at the 2002 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Earnhardt two victories in the Budweiser Shootout, two 125-mile qualifying wins, two NASCAR Busch Series victories and a win in the July 2001 Pepsi 400 at Daytona.

"The only thing that I'm excited about is that I just got one step closer to winning more races than my daddy ever did here," Junior said.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. is the all-time winner at Daytona with 32 career victories, including 12 in the 125-mile qualifiers.

Hillenburg finished 22nd in the first 125-miler and Shelmerdine took 21st in the second.

Ricky Rudd on Sunday will be making his 27th Daytona 500 start and still is looking for his first victory in NASCAR's traditional season opener.

Other veteran drivers who are winless in the 500 include Terry Labonte (25 starts), Kyle Petty (22) and Rusty Wallace (21). Both Mark Martin and Ken Schrader will be making their 20th career Daytona 500 starts on Sunday and have yet to win the race.