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Waltrip fails to qualify as career winds down
April 9

Darrell Waltrip forced a smile but his quivering lip kept him from hiding his disappointment after failing to qualify for today's NASCAR Trucks Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, the race that was supposed to have been his last as a driver.

Darrell Waltrip talks with crew members after failing to qualify for the Kroger 250 with the 24th-fastest lap. (Steve Helber/Associated Press)

He hinted that he might enter at least one more race before ending a career that has seen him win three Nextel Cup championships and 84 Cup races.

"Maybe next time," he said. "It can't be your last race if you didn't race."

He said his truck was just too loose in qualifying to be fast enough to make the field.

"It turned sideways going into (Turn) 1 and that killed my lap," he said. "I couldn't do anything with it, so I'll go home."

reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton turned a lap at 95.098 mph earned him the pole for Today's Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway (1:15 p.m. Eastern, Speed), a track where Hamilton has won in both Trucks and the Nextel Cup series.

"It's very, very close here in qualifying. It's always been like that here at Martinsville," said Hamilton, the series points leader. "A wiggle of the steering wheel or a slip of the tires will cost you dearly here.

The pole is the fifth in Hamilton's career. His last pole came in the 2003 season finale at Homestead, Fla.

Hamilton was fast out of the box at Daytona, but he had to battle back from problems in his past two races to secure his strong finishes.

At California "we went two laps down because it was running hot and I almost killed the motor, came back and finished second," he said.

"At Atlanta, we cut a right-rear (tire) down, went two laps down, and came back to finish third. I have no idea who it happens. I just know I have really good equipment right now."

Todd Bodine qualified second, Jack Sprague third, Ricky Craven fourth and Bobby Labonte completed the top five.

In addition to Waltrip, Brendan Gaughan, a rookie in the Cup series last season, failed to qualify.

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