Gordon Leads First Bristol Practice

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Aug. 23, 2002) -- Jeff Gordon paced the NASCAR Winston Cup Series pre-qualifying practice at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Friday, posting the quickest time of the session in the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet. The defending Winston Cup champion, looking for his first win of the 2002 season, had a quick time of 15.420 seconds and a speed of 124.436 mph on the .533-mile oval in preparation for Sharpie 500 qualifying later in the afternoon. Two-time champion Terry Labonte was 18th in the No. 5 Kellogg’s Chevy, with Joe Nemechek 26th in the No. 25 UAW-Delphi Monte Carlo and rookie Jimmie Johnson 41st in the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet. The Sharpie 500 is scheduled for an 8 p.m. EDT start on Saturday, Aug. 23. at Bristol Motor Speedway.