The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 99

w-, Oate bPUK 1 AUTU RACING. GOLF ewman takes fifth pole to tie rookie record Pop Secret 400 When: Tomorrow, noon. Where: Rockingham, N.C. TV TNT. Radio: 99.7-FM.

Busch series: Sam's Club 200, today, noon, TNT, Associated Press Ryan Newman continued his mastery of qualifying, winning his fifth pole of the season when he took the top spot yesterday at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham. Newman turned a lap in his Ford at 155.836 mph to earn the first starting spot for tomorrow's Pop Secret 400. He tied Davey Allison's record for the most poles by a rookie. Asked how he has made his rookie season seem points. Stewart qualified 24th.

Jeff Green qualified sixth. He was followed by Kurt Busch, Rusty Wallace, Robby Gordon and Bill Elliott. Hank Parker driving a research and development car for Ray Evernham, qualified 25th for his first Winston Cup race. Nashville's Bobby needed a provisional and will start 39th. Green brothers sweep front row: It will be an all-Green front row at NEWMAN so easy Newman has one victory, won the annual all-star race and is fourth in the Winston Cup standings he just laughed "Easy is kind of a vague word because by all means, it's not easy," he said.

"It's definitely difficult to come to a place like this and get your car hooked up I IV i fVlr i i 0Q5 J0 tjk. 5 to Choose JPs 3.0L 6 Cyl. Engine, I 1 Wheels, Rear Seat, J00 II Keyless Remote, Auto Rockingham, where Jeff Green won the pole for today's Sam's Club 200 Busch race, and older brother David qualified second. The elder Green L2l GREEN for two laps. Some MCMURRAY things will come easier and some things will come harder, and that's all just part of a rookie seasoa Jamie McMurray, the fill-in driver for the injured Sterling Mar-lin, continued his terrific burst onto the Winston Cup scene by qualifying second in a Dodge.

McMurray, who set a modern Winston Cup record by winning in his second start last month, ran a lap at 154540 mph in his first Cup qualifying effort of the seasoa Qualifying was rained out in his first three Cup events, so he auto is driving the car Ricky Hendrick vacated last month because of a lingering shoulder injury. Mark Green, the middle brother of the trio from Kentucky, qualified 10th. Among Midstate drivers, Bobby Hamilton Jr. will start ninth, Chad Chaffin 36th and Joe Buford 40th. Series leader Greg Biffle, 119 points ahead of Jason Keller, qualified 16th.

Keller wound up 13th. Rudd thrown for loop: The early departure of his crew chief frustrated Ricky Rudd and had the driver wondering if his team will suffer through the final three races of the seasoa "I think there's no way we can finish in the Top 10 now," said Rudd, who has a slim hold on the 10th spot in the points. "I guess this season is just a writeoff now." Crew chief Michael "Fatback" McSwain left this week to become Bobby Labonte's new crew chief. PA1678 1 I wOD, Leather, Spoiler plus I lM fSi Much More! 00' I XJOS nfcVl.A i INCLUDES: mmCaa, 14" Whwls, INCLUDES: 4x2, XL, 2.3L EFI Engine, OD Transmission, Air, 6040 Split tench Seat, Plus Much Much Morel i A ii a i jr. i i i Amt S2.QOO REBATE I I Conditioning, Plus Much Much Morel matically made the field based on car-owner points.

He was pleased with his qualifying effort but admitted he was disappointed when Newman knocked him off the pole. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't," McMurray said. "Everybody wants to be first. But it's a long race, and I didn't really expect to beat him he was so much faster than everybody else in practice. So I'm glad to be second, but disappointed." Amid reports of being fired and then rehired earlier this week, Nashville's Casey Atwood needed a provisional to make the race he'd start 42nd and said all the speculation over his future did not factor ia "I hate that all that's going on out there, but I try my hardest every week," Atwood said.

Todd Bodine qualified third and was followed by Mike Skinner. Fifth was Mark Martin, who trails series leader Tony Stewart by 146 Giimixmzj fi I ir -i i I 1 1 a INCLUDES: 4.2L EFI Engine, OD Transmission, Preferred equipment Group, AMFMSlereoCoss, Air, Plus Much Much More, 3T1 62 fi Spotter ured: Earl Barban, a mechanic and chief spotter for Rusty Wallace, was injured in a motorcycle accident on his way to the track Thursday night. Barban, who said yesterday he wrecked his bike when he went around a corner too fast, broke three ribs, punctured a lung and suffered a lacerated spleea Starr wins pole for truck race: David Starr, a winner last time out INCLUDES: Stytes.de Supercob XL, Auto, 2 WD, 4.21 6 Cylinder, 3T152-- OR un VeCS?" AFTBt SI. SOO REBATE on the Craftsman Truck circuit, beat Coy Gibbs to win the pole for today's American Racing Wheels 200 at California Speedway. INCLUDES: 4 4.0L SOHC V6 Fe Fuel Enotne, nuranranc wim uverorive, tmtm Mereo wilti CD, Plus INCLUDES: 4.6 Litre V8 Engine, Automatic Transmission, mucn morei HIT MO i' wneeis, miro Kow Mating, black rower Healed Much More.

INCLUDES: CD, Automatic, limited Slip, Trailer Tow Mirrors, Aluminum Wheels, Triton V8 Engine 3T273 AtfT'fF" ret Ma. i 1 'JJ Pa 0R I i I' U. 1V I'M Howell takes lead at Championship Arrat SI. SOO REBATE "LLv I I I Atttr 277 White Bridge Rd. Mil 98 FORD 01 FORD 97 FORD Explorer 2TSIMA 98 P0NT1AC Grand Am SE, Clean, Qreat Car 2T953A 97 CHEVY S-10LS Suparcab, Cold Air, Stereo PA154SA Windttar GL, Auto PA1601 Escort LX Automatic, -AC IP146S ax 4,988 OO FUHU Taurus SE, Auto, AC ZT1002A mm 00 aifcHCUHV Sable LS AD Power, Auto 2C131A OO FOhO Focus SE PA 1632, Clean, Automauo, AC, On Clwlo Nice Car, 1 Automatic, A4 Power, Only P1" 01 CHtvy Mallbu Cyt, Super Clean, Automaoc PA1466 I 1 mm I a 1 1 a.93i 01 FOHO 01 mam fid IrQMi Explorer XLT, Auto, Clean Taurus SES, AD Power 2T223 MERCURY Sabl 4 Dr.

PA 159 Jimmy ELT AM Tha Button, 00 MERCURY Grand Marquis PAiets PA1M0 11,925 1,933 fflSa1! 2,029 12,430 -T- Mr- fc BT VOLVO 01 FUhii tTTT'TT'TTl oohyhiM Mutncj I t. IH'F ecord EXLtW Silver, Buoe Wiij i.i 1 ZZZZ V240 AssiHimeJ Press The cold, swirling wind at East Lake wasn't strong enough to blow away 153-pound Charles Howell IIL It only reminded him that something around par wouldn't be such a bad score yesterday at the Tour Championship in Atlanta Howell wound up one stroke better a 69 and one stroke ahead of David Toms, Steve Low-ery, Len M.ittiace and Vijay Singh. lXspite making two bogeys with a wedge in his hand from the fairway, Howell finished with eight consecutive pars and grabbed a one-stroke lead in the season-ending tournament for the top 30 players on the money list. "If I make two pars there, I'm 7 under, which looks a little bit different than 5 (under)," I lowell said after playing two rounds in 135. "Obviously, birdies were h.ird to come by.

Every time I made a birdie, I tried to hang on as much as I could." Tolas had the best score of the day, a bogey-free 66 and earned a spot in the final twosome with Howell tomorrow. Tiger Woods is hanging around, too. Woods finished with a 68 and was at 139, just four strokes out of the lead. Nineteen players were within six strokes of die lead going into tlic weekend. No Masters boycott Not one of the world's top 30 IV.A Tour money-winners said they would consider boycotting the Masters if Augusta National does not add a woman to its mcnilxTship.

7 he AtUmta all 30 players this wifk before the Tour Championship. "Hell, no," said 2000 Masters champion Vijay Singh, one of 19 golfers who said flat-out tliat they would not coasider a boycott The other 11 refused to comment or refused to give a yes or no answer. The golfers were a lot less unified on the Issue of whether Augusta National should admit a woman in the first place. Only one Mattiaee said the club should not admit a woman. "I respect their rules," said Ernie Ms who would not say whether that was a "yes" or a "no." Golfers who said Augusta should invite a woman were Woods, Nick IYicc.

Lorcn Roberts K.J. Choi, Shigeki Maruyama, Jim Furyk, Jeff Sluman, Relief Goosen, Justin Leonard and Rich Beem. The 19 others dodged the questioa Webb eimbiated: A day after fellow LTCA superstars Sc Ri Pak and Annika Sorenstam were eliminated from the World Ladies Match Play event in Narita, Japan, Karric Webb also was ousted. Webb lost her second round match to Grace Park 1 up. Also, U.S.

players Kelly Robbing, Michelc Redman and Rosic Jones advanced to the quarterfinals Oder keeps lead: Brad lder shot a 5-under 67 to push his lead to two strokes over I Vane Pappas l.ukc Donald. Jonathan Byrd, defending champion Cameron Heckman and Brad iaxon after two rounds of tlic IXiA season-finale Southern Farm Bureau Classic in M.ulisoa Miss Llder, whose score is 132, needs to win to be among tlic top 125 on money list and secure his tour card for 2003. Automatic, L.X, Explorer XLT Sport PA1B17 44, Fully Tha Beet, loaded Loadad, Milea. Mint P17 P1753, Only -1 7T7J1T lcmvartltta PA1473 1 18,233 18,740 OO Ford Windttar 00 HOt.uA Odyttsy EX 01 Ford Explorer XLT 69 F08U Expedition XLT.Loaoad IP1HS Mountaineer ifci4aii 1 lost 01 Uva Una, f. P.r wir-.

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