Dodge Motorsports Bristol II chassis notes

STERLING MARLIN (No. 40 Coors Light Dodge Intrepid R/T)
Fresh off last Sunday’s Michigan victory, the first for Dodge this season, Marlin will drive the same chassis he qualified second and finished 12th with earlier this season at Bristol. Marlin also drove the same chassis at Rockingham and Dover with finishes of eighth and sixth, respectively. The 44-year-old driver from Columbia, Tenn., scored his seventh career victory in start No. 526 at MIS. He led the final 18 laps of the rain-shortened race. Marlin has led laps in 16 of 23 races this season. He led five times for 81 laps in March at Bristol in the Food City 500. He ranks fourth in the NASCAR Winston Cup Standings (NWCS), just 27 points behind third-place Dale Jarrett. Marlin trails leader Jeff Gordon by 381 points. In 33 career starts at Bristol, Marlin has 14 top 10 finishes. He has seven top fives and 12 top 10s in 2001 and is the only driver who has been ranked in the top 10 all season.

BILL ELLIOTT (No. 9 Dodge Dealers Dodge Intrepid R/T)
Elliott will drive the same chassis that finished 17th at Bristol in March. The 45-year-old 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup champion from Dawsonville, Ga., has 35 career starts at Bristol, with one victory, six top fives and 13 top 10s. He led the most laps and finished third last week at Michigan, his best finish of the season and his third top 10 in the last four starts. He ranks 16th in the NWCS, 199 points behind 10th-place Kevin Harvick. Elliott will make career start No. 647 on Saturday night at BMS.

WARD BURTON (No. 22 Caterpillar Dodge Intrepid R/T)
Burton will drive the same chassis that finished fifth earlier this season at Bristol. Burton finished 33rd last week at Michigan and ranks 18th in the NWCS. The 39-year-old driver from South Boston, Va., will make career start No. 238 on Sunday.

DAVE BLANEY (No. 93 Amoco Ultimate Dodge Intrepid R/T)
Blaney will race the same chassis that he raced earlier this season at Bristol, Rockingham and Darlington with finishes of 29th, ninth and 22nd, respectively. Blaney is coming off a sixth-place finish last week at Michigan. Blaney jumped two spots in the series standings and is now 25th with 13 races remaiming. The 36-year-old driver from Hartford, Ohio, will be making his 623rd NASCAR Winston Cup career start on Saturday night at BMS.

JOHN ANDRETTI (No. 43 Cheerios Dodge Intrepid R/T)
Andretti will race the same chassis at Bristol that he drove to a runner-up finish earlier this season at the .533-mile track. In 13 starts at BMS, Andretti has scored two top 10s. He’s coming off a 26th-place finish last week at Michigan. The 38-year-old driver from Indianapolis will make career start No. 250 on Saturday night under the lights at BMS.

CASEY ATWOOD (No. 19 Dodge Dealers Dodge Intrepid R/T)
Atwood will race the same chassis that qualified 16th and finished 20th earlier this season at Bristol. Atwood finished 10th last week at Michigan and ranks 32nd in the NWCS. He will celebrate his 21st birthday on Saturday at Bristol. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender from Nashville, Tenn., ranks third in the six-driver rookie race.

STACY COMPTON (No. 92 Kodiak Dodge Intrepid R/T)
Compton will race the same chassis that qualified 32nd and finished 32nd earlier this season at Dover. Compton finished 11th in March at Bristol. He finished 21st last week at Michigan, and the 34-year-old driver from Grit, Va., ranks 33rd in the NWCS. He will make career start No. 55 at BMS.

JASON LEFFLER (No. 01 Cingular Wireless Dodge Intrepid R/T)
Leffler will drive the Chip Ganassi Racing chassis that he drove to a 27th place finish at Loudon, N.H. Leffler did not qualify for the first race this season at Bristol. He finished 24th last week at Michigan. The 25-year-old Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender from Long Beach, Calif., ranks 37th in the NWCS and fourth in the rookie race.

BUCKSHOT JONES (No. 44 Georgia Pacific Dodge Intrepid R/T)
Jones will drive the same chassis that finished 33rd at Bristol in March. The 31-year-old driver from Tucker, Ga., did not compete last week at Michigan. Ranked 40th in the NWCS, Jones will make career start No. 36 at Bristol.

KYLE PETTY (No. 45 Sprint Dodge Intrepid R/T)
Petty will drive the same chassis that qualified seventh earlier this year at Bristol. Petty, a 41-year-old driver from Randleman, N.C., made his 600th career start last week at Michigan. He finished 25th. Petty ranks 42nd in the NWCS and will make his 38th career start at Bristol on Saturday night. He has eight top 10 finishes at the .533-mile track.

-Dodge Motorsports