TALLADEGA, Ala. (September 28, 2003) – The No. 54 National Guard team will be forced to sit out the EA Sports 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway after missing the cut in Bud Pole qualifying. It’s the first time this year that car 54 and driver Todd Bodine will not compete in NASCAR’s main event.

"We haven't done all that well qualifying this year for restrictor plate races,” said Travis Carter, co-owner of the No. 54 National Guard Ford. “We've had a good race car that's raced real well, but given all the circumstances you can look back and say, 'I wish I would have done a little something different preparing,' but you kind of feel like at this time of the year you'll be in pretty good shape in points. And given the circumstance with all the work we've had to do and the accidents we've had and had to re-build cars, we felt it was in our best interests to try to focus on the other cars and try to make them better. We've had to build and re-build a lot of cars and felt we had to let the restrictor plate thing kind of sit on its laurels. We knew we could come and race well. Unfortunately, you had some guys that knew they'd be in the race with a provisional and it kind of bit us in the butt."  

A total of 49 cars made qualifying laps on Friday. Some of the big-dollar, multi-car teams like DEI, Joe Gibbs Racing, Robert Yates Racing and Hendrick Motorsports brought additional cars. It put many organizations who run the complete schedule in a difficult position including the National Guard team. Added Carter, “We were definitely concerned, but it is what it is. It's a hard lesson learned and we'll just have to move on."

The situation also concerned the driver of car 54 after he turned in a qualifying speed of 185.484 miles per hour. "That's a little on the slow side to say the least,” said Bodine. “This car has never really qualified that well and it's never run a fast lap by itself, but it runs great in the draft and in races. Unfortunately, you've got to get in the race first. We’re not going to get in with most of the Roush cars having to take provisionals as well as Dale Jr. and Jason Keller getting disqualified after post-qualifying inspection. When all of those cars have first right to provisionals, we have to go home. It’s a shame, but it’s just part of racing.” 

Other drivers missing the race were Steve Park, Kevin Lepage, Mike Bliss, Kyle Petty and Jason Leffler.

As for the actual running of the EA Sports 500, it was Michael Waltrip leading the way. He was followed by teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon.
 

#54 Track Images Link  -- Quintard Mall ARNG Appearance Images Link
Unofficial ResultsWC -- StandingsWC 

Read More About The Race:  Lap by Lap --- Sadler Wreck 
 

By: Traci Hultzapple
Senior Account Manager – BelCar Racing - No. 54 National Guard Taurus
Cox Marketing Group / Mooresville, NC  28117