NASCAR Testing News Page 2

Nov. 12, 2005:

Oct. 25, 2005:

Testing at Texas: One of the busiest test sessions in speedway history will have drivers preparing Tuesday for the Dickies 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, Cup drivers scheduled to test include: #31-Jeff Burton, #44-Terry Labonte, #17-Matt Kenseth, #12-Ryan Newman, #18- Bobby Labonte, #6-Mark Martin, #19-Jeremy Mayfield, #1-Martin Truex Jr. and #77-Travis Kvapil. (TMS PR)

Oct. 19, 2005:

Yeley Fastest In NEXTEL Cup Testing at Atlanta Motor Speedway: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series testing continued today at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Fourteen cars were on the track testing in preparation for the upcoming Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 on October 30. For the second day in a row, in his No. 80 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet, J.J. Yeley was at the top of the speed charts posting a lap of 188.636 mph, (29.39 seconds). The No. 6 car of Mark Martin was second fastest, followed by the No. 20 Chevrolet, driven by Tony Stewart. Dale Earnhardt Jr. recorded a lap of 184.003 mph, (30.13 seconds). There were two on track incidents towards the end of the day. The first one occurred when Earnhardt, Jr. spun exiting turn four, but did not make contact with the wall and the second occurred minutes later when Yeley blew an engine entering turn one. Atlanta Motor Speedway testing will continue tomorrow as drivers prepare for the upcoming Oct. 28-30 race weekend. (Atlanta Motor Speedway PR)

D.J. and UPS testing: The UPS Team spent Wednesday, October 19th testing at Carraway Speedway in preparation for this weekend’s race at Martinsville. (UPS Weekly PR)

Blaney testing: Dave Blaney and the Jack Daniel’s Racing Team tested at Atlanta Motor Speedway Tuesday, October 18 in preparation for the upcoming MBNA Bass Pro Shops 500 at AMS. (RCR Jack Daniels Weekly PR)

Kyle Busch testing at Homestead/Texas: Busch and his #5 Kellogg's Racing team will test at Homestead, Fla., on Wednesday [Oct 19th] in preparation for the Nov. 20 NEXTEL Cup season finale. The team will also hold a two-day test Oct. 25-26 at the Texas Motor Speedway to warm up for the Nov. 6 event there. (Hendrick Motorsports PR)

Oct. 7, 2005:

Sterling Marlin testing: Sterling Marlin and the Coors Light team spent two days at Kansas Speedway last week in preparation for the 267-lap event this weekend. (Ganassi Racing PR)

Oct. 5, 2005:

Kentucky NEXTEL Cup testing: #88-Dale Jarrett, #77-Travis Kvapil and the #11 R&D car were scheduled to test at Kentucky Speedway on Tuesday, Oct 4th. (Kentucky Speedway)

More NEXTEL testing: Brian Vickers, Ken Schrader and Ricky Rudd took part in a Goodyear tire test at Martinsville Speedway on Monday and Tuesday. (Roanoke.com)

Sep. 22, 2005:

Stewart Crashes again at Lowest testing: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point leader Tony Stewart and championship contender Greg Biffle each crashed for the second time in less than 30 hours Wednesday at Lowe's Motor Speedway as five teams made final preparations for the Oct. 15 UAW-GM Quality 500. Neither Stewart nor Biffle were injured and both were able to drive their heavily damaged cars back to the garage area. Bouncing back from his hard crash Tuesday afternoon, Stewart was consistently quick throughout the testing session and recorded the fastest lap of the evening just moments before a cut right-front tire sent the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet into the Turn 3 SAFER Barrier. (LMS PR)  The unofficial speeds:
Showing driver, car number and speed:
1. Tony Stewart, 20, 186.935
2. Kyle Busch, 5, 185.452
3. Kurt Busch, 97, 184.237
4. Scott Wimmer, 22, 183.511
5. Greg Biffle, 16, 182.414.

Sep. 21, 2005:

Stewart among 4 drivers wrecking at Lowest testing: NASCAR points leader Tony Stewart crashed during a test session at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Tuesday, raising serious questions about the track surface. Stewart crashed his Chevrolet after running just a handful of laps, then ended his session because of a headache. He met briefly with track president Humpy Wheeler before heading home. Also wrecking during the test session were Greg Biffle, who is second in the points and had his accident with just over an hour left of track time, and Mike Bliss and Boris Said. None of the drivers were injured. Wheeler used a grinding process called "levigating" in the turns of the track earlier this year to smooth out the trademark bumps in an effort to foster more side-by-side racing. After a NASCAR-record 22 cautions during the May race, Wheeler went back and levigated the rest of the surface. None of the drivers participating in Tuesday's test session think the changes helped. "I don't remember any of the drivers asking for changes," Stewart told reporters before leaving. "You've got to give Humpy credit for trying to make the track better. He actually made it worse instead." (WRAL) The top-10 unofficial speeds:
1. #36-Boris Said 185.376
2. #16-Greg Biffle 184.938
3. #6-Mark Martin 184.414
4. #07-Dave Blaney 183.692
5. #31-Jeff Burton 183.636
6. #21-Ricky Rudd 182.420
7. #18-Bobby Labonte 182.168
8. #00-David Reutimann 181.996
9. #97-Kurt Busch 181.366
10. #22-Scott Wimmer 180.644. (LMS PR)

Sep. 15, 2005:

NASCAR testing at Lowes: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Testing is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 20, and Wednesday, Sept. 21 in preparation for the UAW-GM Quality 500 on Saturday night, Oct. 15. Teams fielding cars for the following drivers have indicated their intention to participate with more expected: #6-Mark Martin, #16-Greg Biffle, #18-Bobby Labonte, #20-Tony Stewart, #22-Scott Wimmer, #31-Jeff Burton and #97-Kurt Busch. Fans can attend both of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series testing sessions free of charge. Lowe's Motor Speedway's frontstretch grandstand will be open both days and fans should enter through Gate 5A, located next to the main ticket office. (LMS PR)

Sep. 14, 2005:

Mears testing at Nashville: Nashville Superspeedway is hosting Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates #41 Target Dodge car with driver Casey Mears and crew chief on Tuesday [9/13] and Wed [9/14]. Here are some quotes from Tuesday's test: Jimmy Elledge - Crew Chief "We're here at the Nashville Superspeedway for a two-day test and we're researching the way the #41 Target Dodge reacts aerodynamically. This is a good, smooth, sensitive track so I think we'll take away some positives." (Nashville Superspeedway PR)

Burton testing: Burton and Team Cingular tested Homestead-Miami Speedway Sept. 13-14 in preparation for the November 20 season finale. (RCR Weekly Release)

Blaney testing for NH: Dave Blaney and the Jack Daniel’s Racing Team tested at The Milwaukee Mile on Wednesday, August 31 in preparation for the Sylvania 300 at NHIS. (RCR Weekly Release)

Newman testing at Kentucky: #12 Penske South Racing driver Ryan Newman wouldn't be surprised if the last wound up first when the 10-race "Chase for the NEXTEL Cup" ends at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20. "As far as the points go, we deserve to be 10th and 10th is what gets us in," he said. "We were a 10th place team after the 26th race and we'd like to be better than that, hopefully first team after the 36th. We have a team that's capable of being first. We'll see if we can do that." The 27-year-old driver opened his bid for his first series title with a test at Kentucky Speedway today. He said he is comfortable starting his second "Chase for the NEXTEL Cup" just 45 points behind series leader Tony Stewart. The South Bend, Ind., driver used today's track time to acquire data that may help him improve on last season's seventh-place showing in "Chase for the NEXTEL Cup." He drove to a total of three top-three finishes during the 2004 title chase including a win in Dover, Del., a second-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway and a third-place finish in Martinsville, Va. (Kentucky Speedway PR)

Aug 31, 2005

RCR cars to test at Milwaukee: Dave Blaney and the #07 Team and Jeff Burton and #31 team are scheduled to test at The Milwaukee Mile on Wednesday, August 31 in preparation for the upcoming Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. (RCR PR) Harvick tested Monday at Milwaukee: Harvick and the No. 29 team tested at The Milwaukee Mile on Monday. While missing the Chase might have been a good reason to cancel the test, GM Goodwrench crew chief Todd Berrier continues to work to improve the team’s program for the final races and get a head start on next years season.  (RCR PR)

NHIS testing: With track drying completed after morning showers, the NASCAR Test Session for the SYLVANIA 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway began today at 1:08 p.m. The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers testing include Mark Martin (No. 6 Viagra Ford), Scott Riggs (No. 10 Valvoline Chevrolet), and J.J. Yeley (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet). Martin and Riggs will also be testing at NHIS on Wednesday, August 31. Ronnie Hornaday, III is testing today for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series SYLVANIA 200 presented by Lowe's in the No. 7 Ultra Motorsports Dodge. (NHIS PR)

Aug 10, 2005

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup testing at Texas: Several NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams are scheduled to test at Texas Motor Speedway in preparation for the inaugural Dickies 500, the eighth race in the 10-race Chase for the Nextel Cup. Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) will be the first as he is scheduled for a two-day test Monday, Sept. 6 and Tuesday, Sept. 7. Just prior to the Dickies 500, four Nextel Cup Series drivers will look to get an edge on the field for the Dickies 500 and quite possibly those in the Chase. Elliott Sadler (No. 38 M&M’s Ford) and Terry Labonte (No. 44 ditech.com Chevrolet) are scheduled to test Oct. 24-25, and defending series champion Kurt Busch (No. 97 IRWIN/Crown Royal Ford) and Mark Martin (No. 6 Viagra Ford) will test on Oct. 25-26. Johnson (2nd), Busch (5th), and Martin (6th) are among the Chase leaders. (Texas Motor Speedway)

Aug 10, 2005

Gordon, Tracy, and Jarrett among drivers testing at MIS: Paul Tracy acted a bit surprised at the group of media members assembled outside the Richard Childress Racing transporter Tuesday during the break in testing at Michigan International Speedway. Even though he was all business during the two-day test, he had time to joke with reporters about all the attention he was receiving for his two-day venture into testing stock cars. "Hey guys, Jeff's transporter is over there," joked the 2003 Champ Car World Series champion, as he was referring to the transporter of four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon who normally gets plenty of attention from the media. Tracy, along with Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett and a slew of NASCAR Busch Series teams completed the second day of testing in preparation for the upcoming GFS Marketplace 400 and Domino's Pizza 250 race weekend at MIS. While Tracy completed his second day of incident-free testing, Gordon joined the test session on Tuesday, where he was looking to get back on track and make the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. Tracy, who has raced in 11 career open-wheel events at MIS since 1991, still holds the open-wheel qualifying record of 234.949 mph, which he set in July of 2000. His highest finish at MIS came in 1992 when he placed second. After completing the test, it will be up to Richard Childress and team management to see if he will return next week to attempt to qualify for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series GFS Marketplace 400. "We'll see if we come back," Tracy said. "Ultimately it's Richard's (Childress) decision and the team's decision whether we come back. I feel that I've done well so we'll see what he says. He's on vacation until tomorrow so I'll probably talk to him then and they'll make the decision." Other drivers who completed laps on the MIS oval included Dale Jarrett in the #88 UPS Ford, Jeremy Mayfield in the #19 UAW/Dodge Dealers Dodge, Sterling Marlin in the #40 Coors Light Dodge and Carl Edwards, who tested his Busch Series car, the #60 Charter Communications Ford. Others NASCAR Busch Series drivers included Paul Menard in the #11 Menard's Chevrolet, J.J. Yeley in the #18 Vigoro/Home Depot Chevrolet, Denny Hamlin in the #20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet, Ashton Lewis Jr. in the #25 U.S. Marines Ford, Reed Sorenson in the #41 Discount Tire Dodge and Justin Labonte in the #44 U.S. Coast Guard Chevrolet, who was also joined by #87 Joe Nemechek on Tuesday only. Jarrett, a four-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series winner at MIS, is hoping the GFS Marketplace 400 will be one of the races that get him back in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. "This has always been a very good track for us," said Jarrett. "We didn't run well here in June and have struggled on the 1.5 and 2-mile tracks all year. Over the years, those have been our bread and butter, so we wanted to come here today and see if we can get the magic back." While Jarrett was a casual observer of Paul Tracy's first run in a stock car, he was more concerned about getting the UPS Ford back on track. "I met him and have watched him race for a long time," Jarrett said of Tracy. "With no disrespect, if he comes to race next weekend, that's not one of our concerns. Our concern is making the Chase and that's all we're focused on." Another driver looking to learn more about his car on the 2-mile MIS oval on Monday and Tuesday was Carl Edwards, who tested his NASCAR Busch Series Charter Communications car. Edwards made his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup debut at MIS in August of last year finishing 10th, which makes the facility a special place for him. "I love coming to Michigan," said Edwards. "I love this track because it's where I made my first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start and I've had good luck here in the Craftsman Truck Series." Edwards was also asked of his opinion of the Paul Tracy which has had many in the racing world talking over the past week. "It would be cool to see him run at the NEXTEL Cup level," Edwards said. "Paul is a fun guy to watch and I've always enjoyed watching him race. He seems like a pretty tough dude. I don't know if we would give him too much of a hard time. He'll go through the same stuff we all went through in our first few races." Tickets are still available for the NASCAR Busch Series Domino's Pizza 250 on Saturday, August 20, and the ARCA RE/MAX Series Hantz Group 200 on Friday, August 19. Children 12 and under admitted free to both events. Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series activities include NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series qualifying, along with a concert by the country sensation Sugarland following the Domino's Pizza 250. All tickets can be purchased now by visiting www.MISpeedway.com, or by calling the MIS ticket hotline at 1-800-354-1010. (MIS PR) No Speeds were reported

 Aug 9, 2005

Tracy test Childress Car: A new chapter of Paul Tracy’s hugely successful career began this Monday at Michigan International Speedway, where the 2003 Champ Car champion began preparing for his first-ever attempt at qualifying for a NASCAR Nextel Cup race, the GFS Marketplace 400 at MIS on August 21. Long courted by Richard Childress's organization, PT had the company of RCR’s Kevin Harvick and nine other drivers as he tried to get to grips with hustling a 3,400-pound stock car around the 2-mile, D-shaped oval, instead of the 1,500-pound Indy-style cars he’s raced 11 times at MIS. In spite of still holding Michigan’s official track record with a lap of 234.949mph that put him on the pole for the 2000 Champ Car race, Tracy reckoned the test posted a steep learning curve. "It's a lot different from what I do,” he admitted. “To go out on fresh tires and really lean on it hard, sometimes to the point where I don't know exactly how far I can push it, is still an area to learn." (SPEED)

Aug 6, 2005

Kentucky Suit, puts breaks on NASCAR testing plan: NASCAR may be reconsidering its proposed testing-limit and tire-lease concepts, garage sources said. NASCAR had offered the ideas as ways of reducing cost and travel for the teams. Apparently, however, the recent suit against NASCAR/ISC by Kentucky Speedway has caused NASCAR to back away. Kentucky is a popular testing site for Cup teams. (SPEED)

July 29, 2005

Watkins Glen testing: Watkins Glen International announced today that 45 cars are expected to test in preparation for the SIRIUS Satellite Radio at The Glen NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Zippo 200 NASCAR BUSCH Series races, August 13 & 14. The test is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, August 1 & 2. Several NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers are planning to test in a NASCAR Busch Series car perhaps to take on double duty when they come back to compete in two weeks. Among those expected to test in both cars are Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Elliot Sadler, Carl Edwards, Travis Kvapil, Robby Gordon and road course specialists Boris Said and Ron Fellows. Michael Waltrip, Dale Jarrett and Joe Nemechek will be testing in NASCAR Busch Series cars as well. The 45-car line-up also includes NASCAR drivers like Jeremy Mayfield, Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr., and Kyle Busch. Fans are encouraged to attend the test session on both Monday and Tuesday to watch between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm. The first 50 fans to buy tickets to the SIRIUS Satellite Radio at The Glen and/or Zippo 200 events will get a free Thunder Road Tour ($25 value) and get a chance to "drive" the same track as these NASCAR stars. Fans that already have tickets to the SIRIUS Satellite Radio at The Glen and Zippo 200 event weekend will get FREE admission to the test session otherwise admission is $5 each day and fans can enter through Gate 4 or Gate 5. Call 866-461-RACE for details or visit www.TheGlen.com. Tickets are still available for SIRIUS Satellite Radio at The Glen, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race and the Zippo 200 NASCAR Busch Series race. This year NASCAR Busch Series joins the NEXTEL Cup Series for the first time during the annual SIRIUS Satellite Radio at The Glen weekend, August 11-14. And the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series will also make their second stop of the season at The Glen in the newly titled CompUSA 200 on Friday, August 12th.(Watkins Glen International PR)

July 25, 2005

Car of the Future being tested: NASCAR tested the prototype of the car of the future in the wind tunnel last week. The most dramatic change is a larger cockpit. The bodies will be completely different, according to series director John Darby. (Sporting News/ Lee Spencer)

NASCAR proposed Testing rule causes stir: NASCAR's planned testing rules and tire-leasing program for next season is already creating waves among Nextel Cup crew chiefs, who are not all pleased. But car owners should like the monetary savings. And small-team owners should be especially pleased, since the tire-leasing program, coupled with NASCAR's planned testing limits, should take away some of the immense testing advantage large teams have had. "Next year there will be less testing, that's firm, but how much less we don't know, and how we will organize it we don't know," NASCAR's John Darby, the Nextel Cup director, said. "So we're bouncing ideas off the teams. "The biggest reason is the expense. An average two-day Cup test is six-figures. And to do it every week, we just feel there is too much of that going on." (Salem-Journal)

July 22, 2005

Kahne Kentucky testing: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne and his No. 9 Dodge Dealers Dodge will join 2006 NASCAR Busch Series hopeful Steve Wallace for testing next week at Kentucky Speedway. Wallace is scheduled for Tuesday, July 26 and Kahne is penciled in for Wednesday, July 27. Fans can view testing from the designated area outside Turn 3 at the track at no charge. Testing will begin around 9:00 a.m. and continue through 5:00 p.m. Times and drivers are subject to change. (Kentucky PR)

July 20, 2005

Hamilton's fastest at Indy day 2 testing: It was a family affair atop the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series testing speed charts July 19 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as the father-son tandem of Bobby Hamilton and Bobby Hamilton Jr. posted the top laps, respectively. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular Bobby Hamilton topped the NEXTEL Cup Series regulars on the final day of testing for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Aug. 7 with a lap of 183.905 mph in the No. 04 Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge. It was the fastest lap overall over six days of testing the last three weeks at the historic 2.5-mile oval. Bobby Hamilton Jr. was second fastest today at 182.576 in the No. 32 Tide Chevrolet, which he drives full time in the NEXTEL Cup Series. “We were actually up doing some chassis stuff for my truck and ended up running good,” Bobby Hamilton said. “Obviously, if everything goes right we’ve got time to paint the car and all. It’s an in-house car. We built it ourselves; we bought the chassis from PPI (Motorsports) and then put on our front and rear clips. Hamilton knows it will be tough to make the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard field despite posting the fastest lap of the month. The first two rounds of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup practice take place at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. (local time) Aug. 5. Qualifying is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 6, followed by additional practices at 2:15 and 3:45 p.m. The 12th running of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 7. (Brickyard PR - Brickyard Quotes)

July 19, 2005

Skinner fastest at Indy testing:  Mike Skinner put his No. 23 Dodge atop the speed charts in private Nextel Cup Series testing Monday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a lap of 180.692 mph.  Bobby Hamilton Jr. was second fastest in the No. 32 Chevrolet at 179.565, and Martin Truex Jr. was third in the No. 1 Chevrolet at 179.460. This is the third consecutive week of testing at Indianapolis in preparation for the 12th annual Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Aug. 7. Skinner had the two fastest cars of the session, as his No. 23B backup car was fastest, and he drove his primary No. 23 car to a slightly faster lap than Hamilton's speed, at 179.653.  Truex's teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. did not practice in the morning but turned 27 laps in the afternoon, turning a fast lap of 176.470 in the No. 8 Chevrolet. Earnhardt said the team plans to complete a full day of testing on July 19, the final day of pre-Allstate 400 at the Brickyard private testing. (NASCAR.com)

July 16, 2005

Testing changes in 2006: NASCAR is planning a major change in Nextel Cup testing for next season, limiting teams to six designated manufacturers tests. That means that all three carmakers - Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge - would each have to specify which six tracks they want their own teams to test at, and no other testing at any NASCAR track would be allowed. The Nextel Cup tour runs at 23 different track.  Such a rule would keep multicar teams from testing at numerous different tracks. For example, Rick Hendrick's four primary teams can each test at seven different tracks, giving that operation a total of 28 tests, while in contrast, single-car team owners like Cal Wells can only test at seven tracks.  Under the proposed new rule, which is still being debated, each manufacturer would have to pick six tracks and its teams could test at those six tracks on those six dates. NASCAR also wants to bar any testing during the final 10 races of the season. (Salem-Journal)

July 13, 2005

Riggs fastest in Indy testing: Scott Riggs and the MBV Motorsports team led testing on a rain-shortened day July 12 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a speed of 181.244 mph in the No. 10 Valvoline Chevrolet. Riggs’ top lap ranks him as seventh-fastest to date in 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series private testing at the 2.5-mile oval. Greg Biffle remains the fastest of 2005 testing so far, thanks to the lap of 181.963 he posted July 10. The top five overall in 2005 testing at Indianapolis, which includes test days on July 5-6 and 11-12, are Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Ken Schrader, Robby Gordon and Elliott Sadler. Riggs and his competitors are trying to get a handle on the combination of the newly repaved track surface at IMS and a new Goodyear tire compound, which will make finding the right setup difficult when teams return for the 12th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Aug. 7. (Speeds and more at IMS)

2006 Daytona test dates set: NASCAR announced the 2006 dates for Daytona preseason testing Sunday. Teams in the odd-number rankings in the car owner points after Sunday’s race will test at Daytona on Jan. 9-11 with Jan. 12 as the rain date. Teams in the even-number rankings in the car owner points standings will test at Daytona on Jan. 16-18 with a rain date of Jan. 19. Of course, NASCAR allows some teams to switch test dates if needed. (News and Record)

July 11, 2005

NASCAR to ban testing at several tracks: NASCAR is considering banning Cup testing at Kentucky and Nashville and possibly other tracks, according to crew chiefs, who say NASCAR may also ban any testing anywhere during the season's final 10 events. (Salem Journal)

July 7, 2005

Busch and Rudd test Indy: At least Kurt Busch and Ricky Rudd didn't have to worry about traffic. The two Nextel Cup drivers were at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday for the second of six days of testing, and they had the whole track to themselves. "There's pros and cons to both sides," Busch said of the uncluttered testing. "You don't have to worry about people blowing up motors or getting into accidents. It gives us plenty of track time, really. "Normally when you come to Indy you've got a big group of cars, but this feels like we rented the place out for a private test all by ourselves." Carl Edwards, Busch's teammate with Roush Racing, had the quickest lap Tuesday but did not take part in Wednesday's session. Jimmy Spencer couldn't drive because he crashed his only car on Tuesday. More tests are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday and July 18-19. NASCAR's Brickyard 400 is Aug. 7. The newly resurfaced track allows greater traction and higher speeds, but it still hasn't had enough traffic to provide a true test under race conditions, Busch said. (SF Gate)

Stewart, Martin, Biffle and more to test the Glen: Tony Stewart, Mark Martin and Greg Biffle will highlight what could be the largest test session ever at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 1-2. The test is open to fans for a $5 fee. Overall, 13 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and 22 Busch Series teams will arrive in Schuyler County after the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway and prior to that week's Brickyard 400. Chemung's Geoffrey Bodine leads a cast of Busch Series racers that also included Reed Sorenson, Wally Dallenbach, Martin Truex Jr. and Kerry Earnhardt. Tony Stewart, who has won two of the last three race at The Glen and two straight road races in Nextel Cup, will also test Kevin Harvick's Busch car, in addition to his familiar No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet. Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, Travis Kvapil and Boris Said will also test Nextel Cup and Busch cars. Other Nextel Cup drivers include Scott Pruett, Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears, Jeff Green, Chris Cook, Ron Fellows and Harvick. Despite their positions in the Chase for the Championship standings, neither Dale Earnhardt Jr. nor Jeff Gordon are scheduled to test. In fact, Hendrick Motorsports isn't scheduled to be represented at all on those days. (The-Leader)

July 6, 2005

Johnson fast in NHIS testing: For NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Jimmie Johnson, winning at New Hampshire International Speedway is all about preparation. That's why the former two-time NHIS winner was at the 1.058-mile speedway turning laps yesterday during NASCAR's two-day test session for the New England 300 on July 17.``It's just finding the latest trick,'' said Johnson, the current leader in the series standings. ``This track is so different than any other place we run at, and (Kurt Busch) is probably the strongest because he won both of last year's races here.'' Getting the most out of a test session at NHIS is important, since the Nextel Cup race here in September is the first event of the 10-race ``Chase for the Nextel Cup'' championship playoff. ``Testing here is really a no-brainer for us,'' said Johnson, who won both series races at Loudon in 2003. ``What we can learn here we'll carry with us for the (first) of the final 10 races of the season.''  (Boston Herald)

Brickyard testing Edwards fastest; Confidence in tires: The first of six days of NASCAR testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday bore a striking resemblance to a Formula One race as just four teams put cars on the racetrack. Just two cars are testing today because Carl Edwards has another commitment and Jimmy Spencer damaged his car beyond quick repair Tuesday by hitting the wall in turn one. "The track is taking care of the cars really well. It's just a matter of getting the setup right so you can take care of your tires," said reigning Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch, who shared the track with Roush Racing teammate Edwards, Ricky Rudd and Spencer. "What a fiasco that was. There's just no excuse," said Rudd, the 1997 Indy champion. "Because we've got one tire manufacturer, that keeps it under control." Goodyear supplies tires to all NASCAR teams and attempts to tailor them to specific tracks. The tire for Indianapolis was specially developed for the resurfaced 21/2-mile flat oval. Rudd described it as a harder compound "slightly on the conservative side" but said the grip in the track has the capability to produce times a full second per lap faster than last year. Edwards turned the fastest lap Tuesday at 179.165 mph, just ahead of Busch's 179.151. That's well off Casey Mears' 2004 pole speed of 186.293. Next week will provide a better indication of what to expect when about 25 drivers, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace, come directly from this weekend's race at Chicagoland Speedway to test July 11-12. A final session featuring four-time winner Jeff Gordon is scheduled July 18-19. (Indy Star)

Stewart also test at NHIS: The current NEXTEL Cup points leader wasn't the only driver looking to gain the extra track knowledge needed to drive into victory lane here in the Granite State. The 2002 series champion Tony Stewart was in attendance trying to get an edge. Right now no one his hotter than Stewart as he has won the last two NEXTEL Cup races heading into this weekend's race at Chicagoland Speedway. He is currently third in the standings, 136 behind Johnson. Stewart though knows the importance of getting off to a good start in the Chase. Last year, Stewart finished 39th in the Sylvania 300 after a wreck ended his day. From there he never really recovered and finished sixth in his pursuit of his second series title. "So far so good ... no problems," said Stewart. "I have one car that's a brand-new car and one that we've run here in the past and for the most part it's just going through the motions. What we learn at this test we'll use for both races obviously. With it being one of those last ten (races) we felt it was important to come here with it being the first one and try to learn some things and we'll see how the race weekend goes and if there's anything we really feel like we've got to adjust. Obviously (the Sylvania 300) is going to be a lot more important than the first one at this place." (Citizen Online)

July 1, 2005

Foyt test with Evernham: A.J. Foyt IV, grandson of legendary NASCAR and open-wheel star A.J. Foyt, recently tested in an Automobile Racing Club of America car with Evernham Motorsports, and could figure in the organization's driver development plan soon. "A.J. was very fast in the car and we were very impressed with him. He's probably going to run some Busch races for us later this year and we'll do some further testing," team owner Ray Evernham said. Foyt, 21, is in his third season in IRL's IndyCar series. His career-best start is sixth and career-best finish ninth. (ThatsRacin)

Brickyard testing: Preparations for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard begin Tuesday with the first of six days of NASCAR testing at IMS.  The majority of teams have signed up to test either immediately before or after the July 10 Nextel Cup event at Chicagoland Speedway. The first session is Tuesday and Wednesday -- only a half-dozen drivers will participate, according to Speedway officials -- and the second is July 11-12. A couple of teams have requested testing time for July 18-19. The Aug. 7 race will feature defending champion Gordon's attempt to become the Speedway's first five-time winner. (Indy Star)

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