39 teams vie for 33 spots in men's race

Waiting to qualify for the Little 500 is a nerve-wrecking experience for many first-year riders.\nFor some veterans, qualifying is a formality. \nBut during Saturday's qualifying round at Bill Armstrong Stadium, many of the 39 men's teams will feel a little uneasy. \nUnlike last year, when every team qualified for the race, six teams won't make this year's field. That means months of training for some teams will not result in a chance to compete in the race.\n"I think everybody is going to think about not qualifying, especially if you have some bad exchanges and have to go to a second or third attempt," junior Dodds House rider Justin Alexander said. \nDodds qualified second last year. But members said they weren't obsessed with qualifying near the top of the field.\n"Our goal is to qualify well enough to get a good pit and the jerseys we want," Alexander said. "We aren't trying to qualify on the pole or in the top five or anything. There are 39 teams in the race, and we just want to be one of the 33."\nPit and jersey selections are determined by how a team qualifies. A good qualifying position means a team has a better chance of selecting a desirable pit and jerseys.\nBesides location and outfit perks, some riders and coaches said fans sometimes put too much emphasis on qualifying. \n"I think qualifying serves some purpose, but it's not a deciding factor," third-year Phi Gamma Delta rider Todd Cornelius said. \nDelta Chi alumni coach Steve Hoeferle, who has been involved with the race since 1979, said qualifying is overrated. But Hoeferle did say that qualifying is a "fun event for the crowd."\nThe Delta Chi team excited its house when it claimed last year's pole by qualifying 1.5 seconds ahead of Dodds. Delta Chi finished last year's race in fourth place and returns three of its four riders. The team attempts to qualify at 2:30 Saturday and is considered one of the favorites to earn the pole position.\n"We got a pretty good time, and the track should be in good shape when we qualify," junior Delta Chi rider Mark Bagwell said. "The pole is a reasonable goal for us."\nWhile earning the pole for a second consecutive year is a goal for Delta Chi, Bagwell said the team wouldn't be disappointed with a top five position. Bagwell said qualifying in the top five would put Delta Chi in position to get to the front quickly on race day.\nOne of the big advantages Delta Chi has is experience. Hoeferle said the team has been coaching exchanges the same way since the team won seven races between 1973 and 1981.\n"They won't be confused when they walk into the stadium and everyone is screaming and yelling," Hoeferle said. "They are there to do a job, and the three guys that are experienced know what that job is."\nDelta Chi's experienced riders know what it's like to wait 30 minutes in the infield before qualifying. The team has developed a technique of exchanges that has worked for more than 20 years. But few teams have developed a system of qualifying like Delta Chi, and those teams could have trouble Saturday.\n"Tuesday was my first day at the track, and I didn't see a lot of good exchanges," Hoeferle said. "I think we are going to see a lot of Band-Aids Saturday"