CONCORD, N.C. -- Car owner Ray Evernham's team swept the front row for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 with Scott Riggs earning his second career Nextel Cup pole.
As Riggs celebrated, Michael Waltrip fretted. Waltrip failed to qualify and will miss his first Cup race since 1998.
Riggs won the pole with a lap of 187.865 on Thursday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Teammate Jeremy Mayfield starts second after a lap of 187.292. Three-time defending race winner Jimmie Johnson, rookie J.J. Yeley and Petty Enterprises' Bobby Labonte complete the top five. Yeley made his run in a backup car after crashing his primary car with about a minute left in practice.
Matt Kenseth will start sixth with Gregg Biffle, rookie Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne and Jeff Green completing the top 10. Jeff Gordon qualified 13th, Tony Stewart 32nd and Dale Earnhardt Jr. 34th.
"The car was absolutely awesome," said Riggs, whose other pole came at Martinsville in April 2005. "I didn't know if it was going to hold up for the pole or not, but I got all I could out of it."
Waltrip saw his streak of 261 consecutive starts -- the sixth-longest active streak -- come to an end. Waltrip last missed a Cup race at Phoenix in 1998.
"Just embarrassing," Waltrip radioed his crew after his qualifying laps. "Thought I was going to win this race last fall and I can't even make it."
Over and done with
Matt Kenseth described his incident with Tony Stewart in last week's all-star race as a "racing accident" and planned to move forward.
"I didn't leave him enough room to get in there," Kenseth said. "I didn't know he was in there until it was too late, so that was my fault and he didn't get out of the gas."
Stewart said on Speed Channel's broadcast of qualifying that he and Kenseth talked about the incident Thursday.
"We're laughing at how much attention it's getting," Stewart said.
Track changes
Dover International Speedway officials announced this week a five-year project that will begin after the track's Cup races in June.
Among the upgrades will be a new entrance thoroughfare for fans on the east side of the speedway, reorganized traffic patterns, upgraded food and beverage facilities, an outdoor concert area and an expanded souvenir vendor area.
Pit stops
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a bit part in the movie "Cars," which has its premiere tonight at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Asked how long it took to read his lines, he said: "I'm a one-take guy. I don't need 60 takes. I got 'er done. I was in there five minutes." ... Ricky Rudd, who has not competed in Cup races since last season, ran laps in a Daytona Prototype at the Mid-Ohio Sports Course on Wednesday. Rudd might run in some future Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series.
