2006 CUP TESTING NEWS
TESTING NOTES: what you see posted here is all I know about testing
I do not know of any other sites that have testing news or I'd post the link
Some teams test and there is no report on it, some tracks do not release speeds
How many tests can each team have?
2006
The scheduled tests will be the only opportunities teams will have to test at Nextel Cup tracks. Teams will be able to schedule tests at facilities that do not host NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events [such as Kentucky, Nashville, Greenville-Pickens, Rockingham, etc]. There will be six test locations that include Lowe's Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Testing in Daytona will be conducted January 9-11 (even-numbered cars) and January 16-18 (odd-numbered cars). The Las Vegas tests will be January 30-February 1. All other dates will be announced at a later time.(NASCAR PR)(11-10-2005)
2006 Nextel Cup Testing Dates:
Daytona: Jan 9-11 and 16-18
Las Vegas: Jan 30 - Feb 1.
Richmond: Apr 11-13
Lowe's: May 1-3
Indianapolis: July 10-12
Homestead: October 16-18
2006 Testing News, Schedules, Results
- Speed for Each of the Main 6 Testing Dates speeds, news, notes:
Daytona Testing...Days 1-3 Jan 9-11
Daytona Testing...Days 4-6 Jan 16-18
Daytona Testing Cumulative Days 1-6
2006 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Testing - Jan 30-Feb 1 page
2006 Richmond Testing - Apr 11-13 page
2006 Lowe's Motor Speedway Testing - May 2-3 page
2006 Indy Testing - July 10-12 page
2006 Homestead Testing - Oct 16-18 page
plus:
2006 Daytona Busch Series Testing speeds
2006 Daytona Truck Series Testing speeds
MAIN Testing Page
2007 Testing News
- Stremme tests at Kentucky: #40-David Stremme tested at Kentucky Speedway on Wednesday, Nov 1st, in preparation for the races at Texas and Homestead.(Kentucky Speedway site)(11-2-2006)
- Red Bull testing at Kentucky: Team Red Bull is scheduled to test a Nextel Cup car at Kentucky Speedway today [Oct 25th], no word on the driver. Fans can watch from the Turn 3 Fan Center at no charge. Schedule subject to change daily. Test times vary.(Kentucky Speedway site)(10-25-2006)
- Homestead-Miami Speedway Testing Day 1: Fifty-Eight cars took to the track in each session of testing at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with quite a mix of cars, most were 2006 cars, with a few Car-of-Tomorrow's [#83-Skinner, #72-Benson, #1-Truex, #26-McMurray, #99-Edwards] and some Toyota's listed [#23-Mayfield, #72-Benson(COT), #83-Skinner, #22-Blaney]. The fastest in the first session [afternoon] was #41-Sorenson at 171.652mph. In the second [evening] session, #42-Mears was the fastest. The fastest Toyota was #23-Mayfield at 172.232, 9th fastest and the fastest COT was #99-Edwards at 169.662mph which was 48th fastest.
AND I: There was one minor mishap Monday involving Greg Biffle during the early session of testing at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. "Right before lunch we got in a hurry and it was go-go-go" said Biffle. "The front skirt (on the National Guard Ford) was way too long and I went down into turn one and the thing went straight cause it drug the ground...tires weren't even touching the ground so... scraped the right side of it up. Car number two is really good and that was my fastest car. We're not doing too bad."(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)
AND II: A three-day test began Monday afternoon featuring 40 teams with 63 cars. Additional teams are expected to join the test on Tuesday. Under NASCAR rules, teams can only test for two of the three days. The session also mixes in cars competing in the 2006 Nextel Cup Series, along with several 2007 cars and at least five examples of the Car of Tomorrow. Toyota is represented by at least five teams, including two Cars of Tomorrow. Con-Way has one COT, driven by Johnny Benson, while Bill Davis Racing has a #22 COT for Dave Blaney and Jeremy Mayfield. Also testing a Toyota is Red Bull Racing, with Mike Skinner. Blaney and Mayfield are also sharing time in the #55 NAPA Dodge fielded by Michael Waltrip Racing, giving both drivers time in a current car, the 2007 Camry plus the Camry Car of Tomorrow. Additional Cars of Tomorrow are a pair from Roush Racing, the #26 and #99, and the #1 from Dale Earnhardt Inc., driven by Martin Truex Jr. and Kerry Earnhardt. Each day is divided into two sessions, in the afternoon from 1-5 p.m. and under the lights from 6-9 p.m. Spectators are invited to view the activities free of charge from the Speedway Club on the fourth floor of the main office building.(HMS Site), see speeds on my Homestead Testing Page.(10-17-2006)
- Hornish testing at Kentucky: Penske IRL driver Sam Hornish is on Kentucky Speedway's test schedule for today, testing a Penske Racing R&D Car. Fans can watch from the Turn 3 Fan Center at no charge. Schedule subject to change daily. Test times vary. Tickets are on sale for all 2007 events at kentuckyspeedway.com.(Kentucky Speedway site)(10-16-2006)
- Testing at Homestead This week: Fifty drivers are scheduled to participate this week at Homestead-Miami, beginning Monday, Oct 16th and ending Wednesday, Oct 18th. Teams may test on two of the three available days. All sessions begin at 1:00pm/et and end at 9:00pm/et, weather permitting. The Homestead-Miami test marks the final of six designated 2006 tests for Nextel Cup teams. Testing is free and open to the public, from 9am until 5pm/et, from the Speedway’s Club Level Seats.(NASCAR/HMS PR), see the driver testing schedule at homesteadmiamispeedway.com.(10-16-2006)
- Kyle Busch testing at Caraway: Kyle Busch and his #5 Kellogg's Racing team will test at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C., this week to prepare for the Oct. 22 Nextel Cup event at Martinsville Speedway.(Hendrick Motorsports PR)(10-5-2006)
- Montoya to test at Kentucky Oct 3-4: Chip Ganassi Racing's Juan Pablo Montoya will prepare for his Oct. 6 ARCA RE/MAX Series debut with a two-day test at Kentucky Speedway Oct. 3-4. He will be joined Oct. 3 by new Brewco Motorsports
NASCAR Busch Series driver Casey Atwood in the #27 Kleenex Ford and five-time NASCAR Elite Division Kentucky Speedway race winner Jeff Fultz, who will practice in a #72 CJM Racing machine. Fultz also is scheduled to test Oct. 4. Fans will be able to view testing for free from the designated area outside the speedway Fan Center off of Interstate 71 Exit 57 and Ky. Rte. 35.(9-30-2006)
- Goodyear tire test at Talladega UPDATE 3: Five teams will participate in a Goodyear tire test Sept. 18-19 at the newly repaved Talladega Superspeedway, Goodyear officials confirmed Saturday. None of the five drivers is in Chase contention, so no title contender will have an advantage when the Nextel Cup Series competes at the track Oct. 8. The five drivers who will participate will be #1-Martin Truex Jr., #12-Ryan Newman, #25-Brian Vickers, #32-Travis Kvapil and #40-David Stremme.(SceneDaily.com)(9-3-2006)
UPDATE: Rookie David Gilliland has never raced at Talladega Superspeedway, so he gratefully accepted an invitation to participate in the Sept. 19-20 Goodyear tire test at the newly paved track. The addition of the Robert Yates Racing driver will add a Ford to the group. Goodyear plans on bringing its Charlotte left-side tire to see if it will be able to stand the increased heat resulting from the new pavement. Goodyear plans on using the same tire for the Nextel Cup and Craftsman Truck Series events during the Oct. 7-8 weekend.(SceneDaily.com)(9-17-2006)
UPDATE 2: the test will be held Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2006.(TSS PR)(9-20-2006)
UPDATE 3: Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr., David Stremme, Travis Kvapil, Dave Gilliland and Brian Vickers participated in the tire tests [at Talladega]. During testing, drivers are allowed to attach computer sensors to the cars that measure several factors, including suspension travel. Track General Manager Rick Humphrey said one team gave the new track surface a rousing stamp of approval. "They said when they got here they thought their equipment might not be working because it wasn't recording any suspension travel," he said. "They finally realized it was just because the track is so smooth. The bumps are gone." The drivers said the new surface has not resulted in an increase in speeds, but they did find a dramatic decline in tire wear during tests. Several said the minimal tire wear could result in some major strategy changes during Talladega's UAW-Ford 500 race. Where Talladega Superspeedway's surface was notoriously rough on tires in the past, tire wear is minimal now and drivers will likely try to improve track position by just taking two tires or maybe no tires at all on some pit stops, drivers said.(Alabama Live), no speeds or incidents reported. See video/slideshow of the track and testing at RacingOne.(9-21-2006)
- Petty Enterprises Testing in Nashville: The #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge rolled off the truck this morning at the Nashville Superspeedway to begin testing with driver Bobby Labonte behind the wheel. Kyle Petty is also in town observing as the crew and crew chief, Paul Andrews, tackle the right set-up on the 1.33-mile concrete D-shaped oval. "We decided to come to Nashville to work on some general set-ups for the car to use in the near future. I guess you could say we're doing some R & D, but it mainly consists of finding new ways to set the car up. I believe this is Bobby's first test run on this particular track in a Petty car so we should have some interesting results by this afternoon," said Andrews. When asked about his thoughts on the "Car of Tomorrow" Andrews said, "It's definitely going to take some time to adjust for all of us. The main reason for the COT is driver safety, but also to make the
competition closer and more even across the board. The wing on the back end of the car is supposed to help the driver, especially in traffic where the air can get taken off the back, to have more control and not have to deal with the issue of being loose. I guess the jury is still out on the whole deal and will be for awhile, but we do what NASCAR tells us to do. The primary reason for the COT is to make our drivers safer, so that's always a positive thing and we'll all have to adapt."(Nashville Superspeedway PR)(9-20-2006)
- Ganassi teams testing at Nashville: Although Chip Ganassi Racing does not have a Nextel Cup Series car vying for the "Chase for the Championship" in 2006, that doesn't deter them from looking for a few wins before the season wraps up. #42-Casey Mears and his team is at the 1.33-mile Nashville Superspeedway concrete oval today looking to improve their chances to snag a future win at the Kansas Speedway. "We decided to come to the Nashville Superspeedway to basically "shakedown" the Havoline Dodge before we take her to Kansas. #41-Reed Sorenson was coming here anyway with Steve Boyer, our head guy over the "Car of Tomorrow" program at Ganassi Racing, so we decided since Reed would be here testing the COT that it would be a great place to work on the #42 too", explained Mears' crew chief Donnie Wingo. Testing is closed to the public.(Nashville Superspeedway PR)(9-19-2006)
- COT Testing at Milwaukee: hearing that "Car of Tomorrow" [COT] was tested Monday [and also on Tuesday] at the Milwaukee Mile with Aric Almirola testing for Joe Gibbs Racing and David Green testing a Hendrick Motorsports COT Chevy. Ganassi Racing will test the COT at Milwaukee later this month.(9-19-2006)
- Kurt Busch tests COT at Greenville Pickens: the Greenville News has pictures and video of #2-Kurt Busch testing a "Car of Tomorrow" [COT] on Monday. The car ran with Goodyear and Hoosier tires [due to Goodyear leasing rules, teams need tires, Hoosier is NOT coming back to Cup]. See more at the Greenville News.(9-19-2006)
- Kahne, Riggs and Yeley test at Kentucky: Chase for the Nextel Cup contender Kasey Kahne fine tuned elements of the intermediate track program for his #9 Dodge Dealers Dodge during a Kentucky Speedway test on Monday. Kahne used the valuable test time to hone his intermediate track skills that will prove helpful in upcoming events at Kansas Speedway, Lowe's Motor
Speedway and ultimately Homestead-Miami Speedway in the Chase for the Nextel Cup finale. The only Dodge representative in the Chase for the Nextel Cup said he will rely on the input of not only his team, but teammates #19-Elliott Sadler and #10-Scott Riggs while pursuing a first series title. Riggs and Joe Gibbs Racing driver #18-J.J. Yeley also turned test laps. Yeley are scheduled to return Tuesday, Sept. 19. Fans can watch from the Turn 3 Fan Center at no charge. Schedule subject to change daily. Test times vary.(Kentucky Speedway PR)(9-19-2006)
- Testing at Kentucky This Week: Kentucky Speedway is scheduled to play host to test sessions for Evernham Motorsports drivers #9-Kasey Kahne and #10-Scott Riggs along with Hall of Fame Racing driver #96-Tony Raines Sept. 12, and the new Nextel Cup Series Toyota Team Red Bull Thursday and Friday, Sept. 14-15. Fans are able to view testing for free from the designated area outside the speedway Fan Center off of Interstate 71 Exit 57 and Ky. Rte. 35.(Kentucky Speedway PR)(9-12-2006)
- Testing at Milwaukee UPDATE 2: The Milwaukee Mile will play a key role in the performance of select Nextel Cup Series teams this coming Monday, August 28 and Tuesday, August 29. Richard Childress Racing’s three ‘Cup drivers, #29-Kevin Harvick, #31-Jeff Burton and #07-Clint Bowyer will be testing over the two days, in preparation for similar ovals ahead on the Nextel Cup Series schedule, including Martinsville, Va, Richmond, VA, and Phoenix, AZ. Potentially all three Evernham Motorsports teams are expected, and there may be others. “In a show of appreciation to our fans, we welcome all to come out and watch these Nextel Cup teams conduct valuable test sessions from our all-aluminum grandstands free of charge,” commented Milwaukee Mile president & CEO Andy Randall. “We are pleased the teams allow us this opportunity for our fans to watch.” The grandstands will be open from 9:00am until 5:00pm both days. There will be no infield access to view the test sessions. Limited concessions will be available.(Milwaukee Mile site), also hearing Joe Gibbs Racing may also attend the test.(8-24/28-2006)
UPDATE: been told that rain cut testing at Milwaukee to 2-3 hours, some drivers testing were #9-Kahne, #19-Sadler, #10-Riggs, #31-Burton, #1-Truex Jr., #29-Harvick & #20-Stewart and possibly #07-Bowyer. No speeds reported.(8-29-2006)
UPDATE 2: Over two scheduled days, The Milwaukee Mile played host to seven Nextel Cup teams, fine-tuning their flat track set-ups for tracks primarily in Loudon, NH and Martinsville, VA. Set to hit the track Monday morning were #29-Kevin Harvick, #31-Jeff Burton, #9-Kasey Kahne, #10-Scott Riggs, #19-Elliott Sadler, #1-Martin Truex, Jr. and #20-Tony Stewart. The #07 team car was driven by RCR development driver Peyton Sellars on Monday only. Rain mid-morning on Monday, August 28, followed by steady drizzle stopped testing in earnest for the day. Kahne left mid-morning due to a Tuesday commitment. The other two Evernham teams elected to stay Tuesday after initially intending on a one-day session. During persistent drizzle, RCR development driver Peyton Sellars drove the #07 car at his second Nextel Cup test session at about 35mph, assisting Todd Berrier and the RCR team to calculate fuel mileage on caution laps, depending on the gear ratio. Sellars and the rain were the show for the afternoon. The fans who streamed in early morning to watch practice for free in the grandstands saw a full day of activity on Tuesday, with just a 30-minute lunch interrupting a full day of testing with all but Kahne returning. Tuesday morning was overcast, then turned partly cloudy with temperatures in the mid-70's. The teams had hustled and took to the track right at 9:00am, testing in earnest. Truex and Stewart hopped between two test cars each, while the other 'Cup drivers tested just one car each. According to Scott Riggs, Kahne got in about 30 laps before the rain came Monday, noting the set-ups between the #9 and #10 have been very similar, allowing vital information gathered by Riggs' team Tuesday to benefit Kahne in his quest to be in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Of note, Burton tested at The Milwaukee Mile in September, 2000 the week of the fall Loudon, NH NEXTEL Cup race and went on to lead all 300 laps.(Milwaukee Mile PR/site with images)(8-30-2006)
- Tire Test at LMS on Tuesday [not Monday]: #01-Joe Nemechek and #2-Kurt Busch will participate in a one-day tire test Aug. 29 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, NASCAR and Goodyear officials confirmed Saturday. With new pavement put down prior to the May race at the track, Goodyear is still trying to find the best compound to use on the 1.5-mile oval.(SceneDaily.com)(8-28-2008)
UPDATE: Kurt Busch and Joe Nemechek tested tires for Goodyear Tuesday at Lowe's Motor Speedway in preparation for the Oct. 14 Bank of America 500 and both believe the tire company has resolved an issue drivers and teams fought during the track's May events. "The right-side tires are going to stay the same and they brought three different compounds for the left side," Busch explained after climbing from the #2 Dodge. "They are trying to get more grip for the drivers and not go too far which means popping tires or blistering tires." For the May races at Lowe's Motor Speedway, NASCAR required teams to use 13-gallon fuel cells, nine gallons smaller than those used at most tracks. NASCAR has not announced which fuel cell will be required for the Bank of America 500, but both teams tested using the smaller 13-gallon cell. "I see that being the fuel cell we'll use when we race here," Busch predicted. "That means more time on pit road which keeps things interesting and 'Humpy' (Wheeler, president of Lowe's Motor Speedway) likes that."(LMS PR)(8-29-2006)
- Several Teams Testing at Kentucky in September: Kentucky Speedway’s post Labor Day NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series test slate is scheduled to feature Hendrick Motorsports Sept. 6-7, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin Sept. 11 and the new Toyota Team Red Bull Sept. 14-15.(Kentucky Speedway PR)(8-29-2006)
- Kurt Busch tests at Memphis: #2-Kurt Busch and his Penske Racing teammates were at Memphis Motorsports Park on Tuesday testing, focusing on set-ups to make his #2 Dodge cut around Richmond International Raceway quicker. "It's a matter of getting that power down and off the corners, that's what we're here doing: to challenge ourselves to get a little bit better at Richmond," Busch said. "It's a comparable track. Everything we've needed to test has worked out so far." Some teams went to Milwaukee this week to try to gather info for Richmond, but Busch said MMP offered more of what his team was looking for. We've already been to Milwaukee this year," Busch said. "We got a lot of work done there and we felt like we needed to go to a little bit smaller of a track to work on the power coming out of the corner."(Memphis Commercial Appeal)(8-23-2006)
- Bowyer testing at Nashville: On Wednesday, August 23, #7-Clint Bowyer and the Jack Daniel's Racing Team will test at Nashville Superspeedway to evaluate and prepare for the remaining races at intermediate tracks on the 2006 schedule. The test will help Bowyer and company get ready for the upcoming races at California, Kansas, Charlotte, Texas and Homestead.(RCR PR)(8-23-2006)
- Biffle tests at Memphis for RIR; then Kurt Busch: #16-Greg Biffle tested at the Memphis Motorsports Park oval on Monday to get some information about the track at Richmond, Va. -- a track similar to the MMP oval. "We look for racetracks that have similar corners and a track that we are familiar with. Sometimes we go to Milwaukee, but it's a lot further out of the way for us." said Biffle, who was on his way from Michigan to California for his next race. "We felt like if we could get some information and data here, some of our other teammates -- Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards -- might come back here to collect some data." The Richmond race is the final one before the cutoff for the season ending Chase. NASCAR rules state that teams can't test at Richmond, so any data collected at a similar track is invaluable. Biffle's crew chief, Doug Richert, said each second is vital during their afternoon at a test facility. "When we came here we baselined our whole Richmond setup, where we raced there last time with the same car," he said. "We have our thoughts with different combinations, so we're able to get two of those completed before we got into this little rain delay. When you do these changes, they're big changes and lengthy changes." Today, #2-Kurt Busch will test on Tuesday [8/22] at the track. Fans can watch testing from Grandstand G at no charge. The garage and infield are not open to the public, and no concessions are available. Schedules are subject to change.(Memphis Commercial Appeal)(8-22-2006)
- Four Truck Series teams conclude tire tests at LVMS: Four Truck Series teams concluded tire tests for Goodyear at Las Vegas Motor Speedway tonight. The next time they see the track will be Smith's Las Vegas 350 on Saturday, Sept. 23. Each of the four participating manufacturers were represented: Dodge (Brendan Gaughan of Las Vegas), Chevrolet (Dennis Setzer), Toyota (Todd
Bodine) and Ford (Rick Crawford). The track qualifying record of 165.320mph was set by Mike Skinner in 2004 [the Nextel Cup track record in 174.904mph, set in 2004], and the teams ran in the 170mph in race trim [reports from Tuesday had the speeds close to 180mph]. Tickets for the Smith's Las Vegas 350 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Sept. 23 may be purchased by calling the LVMS ticket office at (702) 644-4444 or online at www.LVMS.com.(LVMS PR)(8-17-2006)
- Testing at Kentucky UPDATE: #66-Jeff Green, #23-Bill Lester, #1-Martin Truex Jr., Evernham Motorspoers [no driver/team# listed] and #38-RYR,driver TBA [Gilliland?] are scheduled to test at Kentucky Speedway on Tuesday, August 15th.(Kentucky Speedway PR), Gilliland is rumored to be testing the #38.
AND David Gilliland returned to the site of his nationally-recognized June 18 "Meijer 300 Presented by Oreo" Busch
Series victory today when he tested the #38 Robert Yates Racing Nextel Cup Series Ford at Kentucky Speedway. The 30-year-old said he is close to having the chance to try to duplicate that success in the Nextel Cup version of the car if he signs a full-time deal to fill the seat rumored to have been recently vacated by veteran Elliott Sadler. Bill Davis Racing driver Bill Lester, Haas wheelman Jeff Green and Dale Earnhardt, Inc., pilot Martin Truex, Jr., also turned laps at the speedway today. The Haas team tested a "car of tomorrow" in addition to its primary #66.(Kentucky Speedway PR), no mention of Evernham Motorsports testing.(8-15-2006)
UPDATE: Elliott Sadler will get his first experience in a Dodge Charger on Wednesday when his team goes to Kentucky Speedway to test.(Clear!Blue/Evernham Motorsports PR)(8-16-2006)
- Four Truck Series teams test tires at LVMS: four Truck Series teams are testing tires for Goodyear in a closed session on Las Vegas Motor Speedway's new pavement and banked turns Tuesday and Wednesday: #14-Rick Crawford [Ford], #85-Dennis Setzer [Chevy], #30-Todd Bodine [Toyota] abd #77-Brendan Gaughan [Dodge]
For three of the four drivers, it was their first time out on LVMS' new pavement and high-banked turns. Having won the 2001 NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300 and last year's Truck Series Las Vegas 350 at LVMS, Todd Bodine perhaps knows his way around the 1.5-mile superspeedway better than any of the other participating drivers. The new banking surprised Bodine. "I'll tell you, I was a little skeptical at first, riding around in a (stock) Tundra," Bodine admitted. "But then I got in the race truck and I was very impressed. The track itself - the shape, the entries and exits, the corners - they're much better than they appear to be. I think it's going to be a really good track to race on. I've won here in Busch and Truck and I've always loved coming to Vegas. Hopefully we can get our truck just as good as it was last time." "It's a big, big change," said Chevrolet's Setzer. "It's a huge change - I cannot believe how much has been changed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The banking's going to be fun to work with, I think. It's got some characteristics unique to Vegas already. We'll see how it works." Testing will continue Wednesday at 4 p.m. The session is not open to the public.(images at LVMS.com), hearing top speeds early in the session reached 180mph, the Nextel Cup track record in 174.904mph, set in 2004.(8-16-2006)
- Dale Jr. & DEI tests at Nashville: Dale Earnhardt Jr. is at Nashville Superspeedway testing the #8 Budweiser Chevy today.(Nashville Superspeedway PR)(8-15-2006)
- McMurray & Robby Complete Tire Test at Atlanta: #26-Jamie McMurray and #7-Robby Gordon tested tires Wednesday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, finishing a two-day test for Goodyear. After a slow start to yesterday's session, McMurray, driving the same unnumbered car he drove yesterday, laid down the fast lap today with a circuit of 177.690mph (31.20 seconds). Robby Gordon drove his yellow #7 Chevy to a lap of 176.220mph (31.46 seconds). With the new testing rules NASCAR has imposed this year, drivers covet the opportunity to gain extra time on the track. "Every year we get more competitive," Gordon said. "We collect our own data in-house and with NASCAR restricting the tests this year, we get the same number as everyone else. That has leveled the playing field a lot." To see the stars of the NEXTEL Cup series battle for 500 miles in the Bass Pro Shops 500, call (877) 9-AMS-TIX, (770) 946-4211, or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com for ticket information.(AMS PR)(8-10-2006)
- McMurray & Robby Test Tires at Atlanta: #26-Jamie McMurray and #7-Robby Gordon tested tires today at Atlanta Motor Speedway as part of a two-day tire test for Goodyear at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Gordon was laid down the fastest lap with a circuit of 182.009 mph (30.46 seconds) in his #7 Chevrolet. McMurray drove an unnumbered primer colored car to a fast lap of 178.149 mph (31.12 seconds). With the new testing rules NASCAR has imposed this year, drivers covet the opportunity to gain extra time on the track. "It was nice coming out here to Atlanta to do a tire test today," McMurray said. "We brought a brand-new car out here so we were able use this first part of this as a shake-down run. We used the first couple hours to get the car balanced, so it is very beneficial to have this opportunity." To see the stars of the NEXTEL Cup series battle for 500 miles in the Bass Pro Shops 500, call (877) 9-AMS-TIX, (770) 946-4211, or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com for ticket information.(AMS PR)(8-9-2006)
- Bowyer to test for road course today: On Wednesday, August 9, #07-Clint Bowyer will spend the day at Carolina Motorsports Park, a 2.2-mile road course in Kershaw, S.C. testing transmissions as the Nextel Cup Series heads into its final road race of the season.(RCR PR)(8-9-2006)
- Teams Test at VIR: A number of Nextel Cup and Busch series teams tested Tuesday and Wednesday at VIRginia International Raceway in preparation for the upcoming races at Watkins Glen International on August 5-6. On Tuesday, Evernham Motorsports (#9, Kasey Kahne; #10, Scott Riggs; #19, Jeremy Mayfield),
Joe Gibbs Racing (#11, Denny Hamlin; #18, J.J. Yeley), Roush Racing (#99, Boris Said) and Furniture Row Racing (#78, Max Papis) ran on the 2.25-mile VIR North Course. On Wednesday, Hendrick Motorsports (#5, Kyle Busch) and CJM Racing (#72, Dale Quarterley) were joined by Busch teams from McGill Motorsports (#36, Max Papis) and Biagi-DenBeste Racing (#4, Auggie
Vidovich II).(VIRginia International Raceway)(8-3-2006)
- Tire Testing at Atlanta: #26-Jamie McMurray and #7-Robby Gordon will be tire testing for Goodyear at Atlanta Motor Speedway on August 8 and 9. The session is closed to the public both days.(AMS PR)(8-3-2006)
- Testing at Kentucky: Evernham Motorsports and Robby Gordon Motorsports highlight the weekly test schedule at Kentucky Speedway. #7-Robby Gordon and #10-Scott Riggs will test on Wednesday July 19th, with Riggs tentatively scheduled to test July 20 as well. On Tuesday, Billy Wease tested a Penske R&R car. Fans can watch from the Turn 3 Fan Center at no charge. Schedule subject to change daily. Test times vary.(Kentucky Speedway PR)(7-19-2006)
- 2007 Testing, Talladega added, 5 to be chosen: NASCAR is expected to give Cup teams one more open test session next season. That would give teams seven tests at tracks that host Cup races. Those are the only times teams can test at such tracks. The tests will include Daytona and Talladega. The Talladega test is expected to be for the car of tomorrow. Series officials passed out ballots to crew chiefs to vote on the remaining five tracks to test. No final count has been made, but the five tracks are expected to be Lowe's Motor Speedway, Richmond, Homestead, Las Vegas and Indianapolis. Daytona testing is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 8-11 and Jan. 15-18. The sessions will be divided based on what the car owner points were after last weekend's race at Chicagoland Speedway. Teams in odd positions will go one week and teams in the even spots will go the other weekend.(Roanoke Times)(7-16-2006)
- Fifty-One Nextel Cup Drivers to Test at Indy July 10-12: Testing for the 13th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard will take place Monday, July 10, Tuesday, July 11 and Wednesday, July 12 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A total of 51 Nextel Cup Series drivers are scheduled to test on those days. Teams can only test a maximum of two out of the three available days. The hours of testing are 9:00am - 6:00pm/et each day. This is the only test session scheduled before the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Sunday, Aug. 6.
Fans are welcome to view the testing for free from the South Terrace grandstands, located inside the track between Turns 1 and 2.
Testong Roster (Subject to Change):
#01-Joe Nemechek, #07-Clint Bowyer, #1-Martin Truex Jr., #2-Kurt Busch, #4-Scott Wimmer, #5-Kyle Busch, #6-Mark Martin, #7-Robby Gordon, #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #9-Kasey Kahne, #10-Scott Riggs, #11-Denny Hamlin, #12-Ryan Newman, #14-Sterling Marlin, #15-Paul Menard, #16-Greg Biffle, #17-Matt Kenseth, #18-J.J. Yeley, #19-Jeremy Mayfield, #20-Tony Stewart, #21-Ken Schrader, #22-Dave Blaney, #24-Jeff Gordon, #25-Brian Vickers, #26-Jamie McMurray, #29-Kevin Harvick, #31-Jeff Burton, #32-Travis Kvapil, #37-John Andretti, #38-Elliott Sadler, #40-David Stremme, #41-Reed Sorenson, #42-Casey Mears, #43-Bobby Labonte, #45-Kyle Petty, #48-Jimmie Johnson, #49-Kevin Lepage, #55-Michael Waltrip, #61-Chad Chaffin, #66-Jeff Green, #72-Kertus Davis, #88-Dale Jarrett, #96-Tony Raines, #99-Carl Edwards, #00-Bill Elliott, #04-Bobby Hamilton Jr., #47-Jon Wood, #51-Mike Garvey, #60-Boris Said; #70-Johnny Sauter, #78-Kenny Wallace.(IMS PR)(7-7/8-2006)
- Reutimann testing for MWR at Nashville: David Reutimann will be testing the #00 Burger King Cup Car for Michael Waltrip Racing at the Nashville Superspeedway on Monday, July 3.(Nashville Superspeedway PR)(7-2-2006)
- Cup teams test at Milwaukee UPDATE 2: Up to eight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup cars, as Hendrick Motorsports, Chip Ganassi Racing, Evernham Motorsports and Penske Racing South will test at The Milwaukee Mile on Tuesday, June 27 and Wednesday, June 28. On the heels of the June 23rd Truck Series race, and the June 24th Busch Series event, Gordon and company will be getting in some valuable track time, preparing their cars for Nextel Cup race tracks that have similar characteristics to The Milwaukee Mile, including Pocono Raceway, Martinsville Raceway and New Hampshire Int'l Speedway. During the two day Nextel Cup team test, by presenting a Milwaukee Mile NASCAR event ticket stub from either the June 23rd Truck Series or the June 24th Busch Series races, NASCAR fans will gain FREE admission to the Grandstand between 9:00am and 5:00pm. Only those Mile fans with a ticket stub from The Mile's Truck or Busch series races will be admitted. This is a private team test.(Milwaukee Mile PR)(6-25-2006)
UPDATE: been told the following teams are at the Milwaukee Mile on Tuesday: #2-Busch; #19-Mayfield; #24-Gordon; #48-Johnson; #25-Vickers; #5-Busch; #42-Mears; #41-Sorenson; #40-unmarked [Stremme?] and a Hendrick Car of Tomorrow with David Green driving.(6-27-2006)
UPDATE 2: If you're into numbers and know your NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams, car numbers 2, 5, 24, 25, 48, 40, 41, 42 and 19 were testing Tuesday at The Milwaukee Mile, on the heels of The Mile's big AT&T 250 Busch Series - Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 Truck Series race weekend. In appreciation of our NASCAR supporters, the grandstands are open to this private team test to any Milwaukee Mile NASCAR fan who presents a ticket stub from The Milwaukee Mile's June 23 or 24 NASCAR events, Wednesday June 28 from 9:00am - 5:00pm. "The reason we test here at Milwaukee is that this track is 'rubbered-in' the best it can be. We are limited on tires and race tracks we can test at, and with all the rubber laid down on the track from the weekend, it really saves our tire wear," said 2004 Nextel Cup Series champion Kurt Busch. So what can point leader Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers learn with their Hendrick Motorsports teams, in addition to Ganassi Racing and their drives David Stremme, Reed Sorenson and Casey Mears, or for that matter, Jeremy Mayfield? "This track is very similar to New Hampshire, Phoenix, some small ideas apply to Indy," Kurt Busch said. "But The Mile is a sentimental track for me, as I tested here the last three years with my old team just trying to get ready for some of the flat tracks and what it can help you do when you get down to the 'Chase' and how you have to gain points. Hendrick Motorsports also practiced with their Car of Tomorrow at America's Legendary Oval. Most of the teams are expected to return Wednesday. No official times were recorded.(Milwaukee Mile PR)(6-28-2006)
- More testing at VIR for road course prep: A number of Nextel Cup teams visited VIRginia International Raceway this
week to work on their road-course set-ups for the upcoming races at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., and Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, N.Y. On Tuesday, Joe Gibbs Racing (#20-Tony Stewart; #18-J.J. Yeley; #11-Denny Hamlin), Evernham Motorsports (#9-Kasey Kahne; #19-Jeremy Mayfield, #10-Scott Riggs), Dale Earnhardt Inc. (#1-Martin Truex Jr.), Petty Enterprises (#43-Bobby Labonte; #45-Kyle Petty), Richard Childress Racing (#07-Clint Bowyer) and PPI Racing (#32-Travis Kvapil) were
scheduled to spend the day working on the 2.25-mile VIR North Course. Road-racing ace Boris Said was also on hand as a coach. No times were reported. On Wednesday, the three Evernham Motorsports cars were to be joined by Dale Earnhardt Jr., replacing Truex in the #1 DEI Chevy, and MB2 Motorsports (#01, Joe Nemechek). Unfortunately, heavy rain resulting from the remains of Tropical Storm Alberto caused the day to be a wash-out.(VIRginia International Raceway PR)(6-15-2006)
- Cup Drivers Complete Test at Infineon Raceway: Four Nextel Cup drivers completed a two-day test session on Wednesday at Infineon Raceway in advance of the upcoming Dodge/Save Mart 350 weekend, June 23-25. #99-Carl Edwards, #5-Kyle Busch), #41-Reed Sorenson and #07-Clint Bowyer traversed the twisting 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course in a variety of stock cars.
Edwards toured the circuit over the two-day test in his Busch Series car, clocking a top time of 1 minute, 17.60 seconds. Edwards received coaching during the test from road-race specialist Boris Said, who will also compete in the Dodge/Save Mart 350 in his #60 No Fear Ford. The Busch car features about 100 horsepower less than a Cup car, accounting for the time. It was the first trip to Infineon Raceway for Bowyer, who piloted a Grand National Division AutoZone West Series car during the test. He posted a top time of 1:19.90 on Wednesday - West Series cars have even less horsepower than Busch cars. It was the first time on the road course for Sorenson, as well, as he posted a 1:18.40 in a Busch Series car. Busch did not report a time. For ticket information on the Dodge/Save Mart 350 weekend, which will also feature the Blue Lizard Suncream 200 Grand National Division AutoZone West Series and the SPEED World Challenge, call 800-870-RACE or visit www.infineonraceway.com.(Infineon Raceway PR)
AND Next week, June 14-15, Bowyer will return to Infineon Raceway where he will participate in the Jim Russell Racing School.(RCR PR)(6-8-2006)
- Two Cup drivers to test West Series cars at Infineon UPDATE make it 4: Infineon Raceway will host a test for the NASCAR Grand National Division, AutoZone West Series. A few NASCAR NEXTEL Cup regulars, #99-Carl Edwards and #41-Reed Sorenson will participate in the West Series test session in advance of the upcoming Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup weekend, June 23-25. The West Series drivers will take part in the Blue Lizard Suncream 200, scheduled for Saturday, June 24, of the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup weekend. Testing will run on Tuesday, June 6 and Wednesday, June 7. Both NEXTEL Cup regulars will test in West Series cars, as the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series does not allow a formal test session at Infineon Raceway. No word if the test is open to the public.(Infineon Raceway PR)(6-6-2006)
UPDATE: Four NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers participated in a two-day test session at Infineon Raceway on Tuesday. The drivers tested the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course in advance of the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup weekend, set for June 23-25 in the Sonoma Valley. #99-Carl Edwards, who placed 38th in his only other visit to Infineon Raceway in 2005, tested his Busch Series car with coaching from road-race specialist Boris Said. Said will also compete in the Sonoma NASCAR weekend as part of a four-race deal behind the wheel of his #60 No Fear Ford. His other races are in Daytona, Indianapolis and Watkins Glen. Edwards wasn't in race trim and his car featured substantially less horsepower than his NEXTEL Cup car, as he clocked a top lap of 1 minute, 18 seconds. #07-Clint Bowyer, #41-Reed Sorenson and #5-Kyle Busch also took part in the test, which concludes on Wednesday. Sorenson posted a 1:19.79, also in a Busch Series car, while Bowyer clocked a 1:21.3 in a Grand National Division AutoZone West Series car, which features even less horsepower than a Busch Series car. Busch did not report a time.(Infineon Raceway)(6-7-2006)
- Blaney and Schrader testing today at Kentucky: #21-Ken Schrader and #22-Dave Blaney are testing at Kentucky Speedway today, along with Brad Coleman for Brewco Motorsports in an ARCA car. Fans can watch from the Turn 3 Fan Center at no charge. Schedule subject to change daily. Test times vary.(Kentucky Speedway.com)(6-6-2006)
- Cup drivers testing at VIR: hearing seven drivers tested at the Virginia International Raceway road course in preparattion for the road couse races at Infineon Raceway [Sonoma, CA] and Watkins Glen. Teams testing included: #07-Clint Boyer, #22-Dave Blaney, #29-Kevin Harvick, #31-Jeff Burton, #40-David Stremme/Scott Pruett, #41-Reed Sorenson and #42-Casey Mears.(6-6-2006)
- Newman tests at SC road course: #12-Ryan Newman skipped the second day of “Car of Tomorrow” testing at Lowes Motor Speedway as he and the Alltel Dodge team spent Wednesday shaking down their road course cars at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina.(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(6-1-2006)
- More Tire Testing at Indy: Goodyear will bring #20-Tony Stewart, #9-Kasey Kahne and #38-Elliott Sadler back to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30 for one more day of testing a new tire compound to be used in the Nextel Cup Allstate 400 in August. Those three drivers tested tires for Goodyear at the track earlier this month. "We're just going to do a confirmation test and make sure what we selected there for that race is going to be good, and we'll be ready to go," Goodyear marketing and tire sales director Greg Stucker said Saturday night.(SceneDaiy.com)(5-22-2006)
- Fellows in the #32 at Infineon Raceway, and Watkins Glen - 3 drivers test at VIR: A brand new NASCAR Nextel Cup chassis built by world famous racing engineering firm Pratt and Miller should provide Ron Fellows with renewed hope to earn his first victory in stock car's top series next month in California. Fellows tested the much heralded chassis -- one he will use in his attempt to win the Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway June 25 in the #32 PPI Motorsports Chevy -- at Virginia International Raceway yesterday. Fellows has a long and hugely successful history with Pratt and Miller who have prepared his winning #3 Corvettes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours at Daytona and for his three American Le Mans Series GT1 championships. Even though it was his first time in the new car yesterday, Fellows already was confident it will fare much better than the car he had in 2005 at Infineon when he earned a top-10 finish. A big part of Fellows' hopes for the #32 Chevrolet this time around is that Pratt and Miller purpose built the car with him in mind. But it was on the track where Fellows saw a huge improvement over many of his previous Cup cars. Nextel Cup points leader #48-Jimmy Johnson -- who Pratt and Miller also built a road course chassis for -- was at VIR yesterday with Fellows. "We compared very favourably with Jimmy's speeds," Fellows said. "That's really good to have that kind of benchmark." Fellows said the car still has some handling issues but he is confident the team will work them out before the Infineon race. "At Infineon you need a car that is really good in the turns," he said. "We are sure we will be able to get this car to unload near perfect next month." He said he was sharing information with the #48 team and in return was able to gauge his progress off of another Hendrick Motorsports team -- the #25 Chevrolet of Brian Vickers -- who was running an in-house chassis. Fellows hopes to get on another round of tests for team owner Cal Wells after the Infineon race to prepare for Nextel Cup's second road course event in August at Watkins Glen.(Toronto Sun), Travis Kavpil is the regular driver of the #32 PPI Motorsports Chevy. but the team is mired outside the top-35 in owners points.(5-17-2006)
- Tire Testing at Indy Monday & Tuesday UPDATE: Sources in the NASCAR garage said that Goodyear would use #20-Tony Stewart, #9-Kasey Kahne and #38-Elliott Sadler to test tires at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday and Tuesday. It is the fourth such test for Goodyear this season. The tire manufacturer also had closed tests at Atlanta, Texas and Charlotte. Being picked for tire tests is becoming increasingly competitive, as NASCAR rules limit testing to just six tracks.(more at NASCAR.com)(4-22-2006)
UPDATE: NEXTEL Cup Series drivers Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler took part in a private Goodyear test April 24 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, helping the tire company prepare for the 13th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Each driver was picked to represent the three manufacturers in NEXTEL Cup: Chevrolet (Stewart), Dodge (Kahne) and Ford (Sadler). The trio will test again April 25. The drivers focused on assisting Goodyear in finding the right combination of tires to bring back for the race on Sunday, Aug. 6. “We just tested like we always do every week,” Stewart said. “It’s no different than anywhere we go every week, you’ve just got to go do work. It’s awesome to be here in the spring and not be sweating like crazy, and be able to do a tire test before it gets busy in the month of May here.” Asked if the test gives him an advantage toward defending his Allstate 400 victory, Stewart said: “We spent all day running sets of tires that they wanted us (Goodyear) to run. We didn’t really get a chance to work on the car like the open test session (in July) would be. We just go out and do consistent 10-lap runs, give them feedback.”
Kahne said the test is crucial for his Evernham Motorsports team. “We can get a lot (of information),” he said. “We don’t know which tire we’ll choose (at the race) so we’re not sure there, but we have a new team and to throw different setups at it in the morning, use it through out the day, it’s been a good test for us.”
Sadler, who has frequently expressed his love of IMS and desire to win the race over the years, was excited about the possibilities for the 2006 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. “We had a good time today,” Sadler said. “I think Goodyear has brought us a lot of good possibilities to come back with, something fun to race with. We tried a lot of different constructions, a lot of different compounds. All in all, we saw great tire wear. Goodyear was happy what they saw, and we’re happy what we saw. It was a great day at Indy. Indy is such a big race for us. Other than the Daytona 500, it’s the biggest race for the drivers, and everybody wants to kiss the bricks. It’s a big race
for our sponsors, and we have so many fans here and so much heritage here – we’re concentrating on this race a lot. To be able to bring a car that we’re probably going to race here, a couple months early get some laps, take it home and fine-tune it and test it again, I think it’s kind of an advantage for the three teams here today.”(IMS PR)(4-25-2006)
- Kurt Busch tests at the Rock: #2-Kurt Busch is testing at North Carolina Speedway [Rockingham] in preparation for the upcoming race at Darlington. Busch and the team are testing there as the track surfaces are worn and similar.(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(4-17-2006)
- Richmond NEXTEL Cup Series Testing, April 11-13: the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers will take their turn for three
consecutive days of testing starting Tuesday, April 11. Below is the tentative schedule of when the drivers expect to test at Richmond
International Raceway. Testing each day will run from 9:00am to 9:00pm/et and the grandstands will be open for fans each day. Admission and parking are free and concessions will be available from 9:00am to 8:30pm/et each day.
Scheduled to test April 11-12:
#01-Joe Nemechek, #09-Mike Wallace, #1-Martin Truex, Jr., #2-Kurt Busch, #6-Mark Martin, #7-Robby Gordon, #8-Dale Earnhardt, Jr., #9-Kasey Kahne, #11-Denny Hamlin,
#12-Ryan Newman, #14-Sterling Marlin, #16-Greg Biffle, #17-Matt Kenseth, #18-J.J. Yeley, #19-Jeremy Mayfield, #20-Tony Stewart,
#21-Ken Schrader, #22-Dave Blaney, #24-Jeff Gordon, #26-Jamie McMurray, #40-David Stremme, #41-Reed Sorenson, #42-Casey Mears, #45-Kyle Petty, #48-Jimmie Johnson, #66-Jeff Green, #89-Morgan Shepherd, #96-Tony Raines, #99-Carl Edwards;
Scheduled to test April 12-13:
#07-Clint Bowyer, #4-Scott Wimmer, #5-Kyle Busch, #10-Scott Riggs, #25-Brian Vickers, #29-Kevin Harvick, #31-Jeff Burton, #38-Elliott Sadler, #43-Bobby Labonte, #49-Brent Sherman, #51-Mike Garvey, #61-Kevin Lepage, #78-Kenny Wallace, #88-Dale Jarrett, #92-Chad Blount.(RIR PR)(4-10-2006)
- Goodyear to test again at Charlotte UPDATE 2 testing goes better: Goodyear officials confirmed Thursday that it will conduct another tire test at Lowe's Motor Speedway next Tuesday, a week after a two-day test on the newly resurfaced 1.5-mile oval. Rick Heinrich, project manager for Goodyear, said Wednesday that the tires showed a little more wear than Goodyear would have liked, but that could be expected as Goodyear attempts to create a compound that will work on the track. Lowe's Motor Speedway underwent a $3.5 million repaving job after tire problems plagued races there last season. Track president H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler said it is too early to predict whether tire wear will be an issue during the May races. All of the Nextel Cup teams are scheduled to test May 1-3 and then Busch Series teams will test May 8-10. "It's going to be a challenge, and I'm not sure that we really are going to now exactly what we've got as far as the track is concerned until we have all of the cars come in here in early May," Wheeler said. "We have no idea right now about a second groove because everybody is staying down low."(SceneDaily.com)(3-31-2006)
UPDATE: Goodyear is planning to do a second tire test at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Dale Jarrett and Kevin Harvick will test there Tuesday.(Roanoke Times)(4-1-2006)
UPDATE 2: Officials from NASCAR, Lowe's Motor Speedway and Goodyear met Tuesday afternoon to discuss the results of a second tire test at the newly paved 1.5-mile track, with everyone apparently feeling better than they did after last week's initial test.
"Goodyear officials were a lot more optimistic," said Jerry Gappens, the track's senior vice president. "They brought a completely new tire and they did not encounter the challenges they had last week with the higher speeds, excessive wear and higher tire temperatures."
Kevin Harvick and Dale Jarrett participated in Tuesday's test. Goodyear built a totally different tire, with new construction and a harder compound, and Gappens said cars were about one second per lap slower than last week, a drop of about 6 mph. There were no apparent issues with excessive wear or high temperatures. Goodyear plans to bring the tire tested Tuesday back for the Nextel Cup test scheduled at the track May 1-3. It also the one Goodyear plans to supply to Busch and Truck series teams for their races here in May. It appears now that carburetor restrictor plates like those used at Daytona and Talladega will not be needed for the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge and the Coca-Cola 600. It however remains possible that smaller fuel cells used at those tracks might be employed for May's races here.(full column at ThatsRacin)(4-5-2006)
- LMS testing, restrictor plate doubtful UPDATE: Official lap times were not reported during a tire test at Lowe's Motor Speedway Tuesday and Wednesday, but #43-Bobby Labonte said he came within .3 second of the last October's pole-winning lap, Elliott Sadler's 27.948-second lap at 193.216 mph. "It's going to be faster [than 2005]," Riggs said. "Is it going to be fast enough that we're going to need restrictor plates? Absolutely not ... even if we are going to break the track record. Anytime you come out with a new tire or new paving, we always break track records. I don't think just because we are going to run faster than the track record previously, it's not by two seconds or 10 miles an hour." Goodyear is testing tires to determine a compound to use when Nextel Cup teams test on the newly paved track May 1-3. The Nextel Cup series races at the track twice in May, for the all-star event and the Coca-Cola 600. Tire problems marred both races at Lowe's after the track surface was ground down last year, but this year, the track has been repaved. "Anytime you come out to a test like this, there are a lot of unknowns," said Rick Heinrich, Goodyear's Nextel Cup product manager. "We knew the conditions would be severe. We knew there would be a lot of speed. New asphalt generally generates a lot of wear. Conditions were a little more severe than we anticipated but not out of the ordinary." Labonte, Riggs, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and the truck of Bobby Hamilton Jr. participated in the test. Riggs said he did not think speeds were so fast that restrictor plates would be needed in May. Heinrich said the wear is coming on both sides of the car and front and rear. The loads are similar to loads from last year, he said. "Right now, there's a little bit too much wear, but that's kind of expected because the asphalt is real fresh," Heinrich said. "The more laps ... will slow that wear down."(SceneDaily.com)(3-29-2006)
UPDATE It could take weeks for Goodyear to decide what tire will be best because the track surface will continue to change as more and more cars drive on it. The only thing that's certain is that the speeds should reach record highs. Labonte said his laps Wednesday were just a tick off of Elliott Sadler's track record 193.216 mph. But Sadler's mark was set in qualifying, when a car is designed to go as fast as possible for only one lap. The times posted during the test were in race trim, when a car is supposed to be much slower. "It would not surprise me if you saw a 197-mph lap," track president Humpy Wheeler said. Although using horsepower-sapping restrictor plates is an option, no one really wants to use them.(AP)
UPDATE 2: Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, was at LMS monitoring the situation. NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said no decision will be made on whether the sanctioning body will step in to lower speeds until after a full Cup test session in early May.(NASCAR.com)(3-30-2006)
- Johnson wrecks in LMS tire testing: #48-Jimmie Johnson crashed in Turn 4 when his right rear tire went flat at Lowe's Motor Speedway during the Goodyear tire test Wednesday morning. Johnson was not injured in the accident, but his Hendrick Motorsports Chevy could not be repaired enough for him to continue to test on the newly repaved track. "The tire went down, lost air pressure," said Rick Heinrich, Goodyear's Nextel Cup product manager. "He had felt the tire start to go down in Turn 1, and in Turn 3, the deflation of the tire completed. ... We're still looking at the tire and trying to come up with a concrete determination of what caused the tire to go down. We don't know if it was a puncture or wear-related at this point." Johnson's was the only incident during the Tuesday all-day session and the Monday morning session. #43-Bobby Labonte, #10-Scott Riggs, #29-Kevin Harvick and Bobby Hamilton Jr. in a truck also participated in the session.(SceneDaily.com)(3-29-2006)
- #88 tests at Caraway: In preparation for the DirecTV 500 at Martinsville the #88 UPS Team spent Monday at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C., shaking down the car Dale Jarrett will race this weekend.(UPS Racing PR)(3-29-2006)
- #5 tested at Caraway: #5 Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis #263 for Sunday's race at Martinsville. The Kellogg's team tested the car, which saw action in both Martinsville events in 2005, on March 22 at Caraway Speedway, a .455-mile oval in Asheboro, N.C.(Hendrick Motorsports PR)(3-29-2006)
- Testing at Kentucky week of March 27th UPDATE: #96-Tony Raines is scheduled to test at Kentucky Speedway on Tuesday, March 28th and #12-Ryan Newman is scheduled on Wed., March 29th. Fans are able to view testing from the designated area outside Turn 3 for free. Testing usually begins at 9:00 a.m., and ends at approximately 5:00 p.m. Test times will vary based on team goals.(KS site)(3-26-2006)
UPDATE: Four NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams are scheduled to test at Kentucky Speedway Wednesday, March 29. Tony Raines will practice with his #96 Texas Instruments DLP HDTV Chevy, Kurt Busch will put his #2 Miller Lite Dodge through its paces, Sterling Marlin will practice his #14 Waste Management Chevy and Morgan Shepherd will test his #89 Victory in Jesus Ministries Dodge.(Kentucky Speedway PR)(3-27-2006)
- Dale Jr. testing at Greenville: Dale Earnhardt Inc. officials say Dale Earnhardt Jr. is testing the team's #8 Budweiser Chevy at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina today. The team is testing a new short-track car that will likely be the primary car for this weekend's race at Martinsville Speedway. Earnhardt Jr. finished 11th in yesterday's race on another half-mile oval, Bristol Motor Speedway.(SceneDaily.com), plus Dale Jr, Truex Jr. and others are scheduled to race online at simracingnetwork.com.(3-27-2006)
- Tire Testing at Lowe's coming up UPDATE: The repaving at Lowe's Motor Speedway is expected to be finished this weekend. Goodyear has scheduled a tire test there March 28 and 29. Scheduled to test are #21-Ken Schrader, #29-Kevin Harvick, #10-Scott Riggs and #43-Bobby Labonte, along with Bobby Hamilton in his Craftsman Truck.(Roanoke Times)(3-11-2006)
UPDATE: #48-Jimmie Johnson, #29-Kevin Harvick, #43-Bobby Labonte and #10-Scott Riggs have been picked by Goodyear and NASCAR to run the Charlotte tests, and that is drawing criticism from rivals. Johnson was a late substitution for Ken Schrader, and Johnson's selection has drawn criticism from some who say that the test may give him an unfair advantage. Some question why NASCAR and Goodyear would pick Labonte for a second tire test already this year, after just doing a tire test at Texas, when so many other teams have not yet been picked. No Ford drivers were picked, which led Jimmy Fennig, crew chief for Jamie McMurray, to complain that "all the manufacturers should be represented." Gil Martin, the crew chief for Clint Bowyer, said that "a dozen teams ought to be testing at Charlotte." Richard "Slugger" Labbe, the crew chief for the Dale Jarrett-Robert Yates operation, was more pointed, questioning the pre-race tire data supplied by Goodyear. Last year many teams, with the backing of Detroit's manufacturers, did their own pre-race tire testing at high-tech places like New York's Calspan tire-research facility. This year, NASCAR officials have halted all that independent testing by instituting a tire-leasing program, and teams are not allowed to take any tires away from any track after the race.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-27-2006)
- Testing at Kentucky: The ongoing evaluation of the Dodge Intrepid versus Charger NEXTEL Cup Series race platforms continued at Kentucky Speedway Tuesday with Penske Racing South driver Kurt Busch the #2 Miller Lite car. Busch visited the 1.5-mile tri-oval to work with spring packages and further explore techniques for enhancing the performance of the 2006 Charger template. "We come here to test because this is the closest track that we can run that gives us information for other racetracks. This place is definitely is the caliber of a Cup facility. Northern Kentucky, the Cincinnati area, everybody wants a Cup race here. We're studying the way the rear and front springs come down to the racetrack. You don't want the car to hit the racetrack, you just want to make sure you get the car as low as you can. This place is flat and smooth. We're trying to get things right for our next race. We had it right at Daytona, but we've struggled in the last two races so we're just coming back and touching up on things," Busch said. Ryan Newman also participated in the test.(Kentucky Speedway PR), #9-Kasey Kahne of Evernham Motorsports is testing today.(3-15-2006)
- Testing at Kentucky: #14-Sterling Marlin and Robert Yates Racing development driver Matt McCall are scheduled to test at Kentucky Speedway on Tuesday, March 7. Fans are able to view testing from the designated area outside Turn 3 for free. Testing usually begins at 9:00 a.m., and ends at approximately 5:00 p.m. Test times will vary based on team goals.(3-7-2006)
- Testing at Kentucky: Penske Racing South driver #12-Ryan Newman is scheduled to test at Kentucky Speedway Wednesday, March 1 along with Robert Yates Racing development driver Matt McCall. It is Newman's second Kentucky test in three weeks. McCall also is scheduled to test Thursday, March 2, with BAM Racing driver #49-Brent Sherman. Test sessions usually begin at 9:00 a.m., and conclude by 5:00 p.m. Test times will vary based on team objectives. Fans can view testing from a designated area outside Turn 3 for free.(Kentucky Speedway PR)(2-28-2006)
- Kvapil to test at Kentucky: #32-Travis Kvapil, who opened the 2006 Cup Series season with a 27th-place finish at Daytona International Speedway yesterday, is scheduled to test his #32 Tide Chevrolet at Kentucky Speedway Feb. 21. Tests usually begin at 9:00 a.m., and last until about 5:00 p.m. Test times will vary based on team objectives. Fans can view testing for free from the designated area outside the speedway Fan Center.(Kentucky Speedway PR)(2-20-2006)
- Testing at Kentucky Tuesday: #12-Ryan Newman, #32-Travis Kvapil and #7-Robby Gordon are scheduled to test at Kentucky Speedway on Tuesday, Feb. 14th. Fans can view testing for free from the designated area outside Turn 3. Tests usually begin at
9:00am, and last until about 5:00pm. Test times will vary based on team objectives. The Kentucky Speedway Gift Shop is offering a 15% discount on online and in-store purchases through Monday, March 13.(Kentucky Speedway PR)(2-14-2006)
- Richmond Testing dates set: Nearly all Busch Series and NEXTEL Cup Series drivers are expected to participate in important test sessions leading into the May 5-6 doubleheader weekend at Richmond International Raceway. Busch Series drivers will visit Richmond’s 3/4-mile oval on March 28-30, while NEXTEL Cup Series drivers will test on April 11-13. Under NASCAR’s new testing guidelines set for this season, Richmond is the only short track where NEXTEL Cup Series and Busch Series drivers are permitted to test. Overall, only six NEXEL Cup Series tracks and four Busch Series venues will host official test sessions. Teams are still permitted to test at tracks that are not part of their respective series schedules. The tests will be crucial for the teams, especially since Richmond International Raceway hosts two NASCAR weekends each season, including the 26th race of the NEXTEL Cup Series season, the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. After that race on Saturday, September 9, only the top 10 drivers and those within 400 points of the series leader will be eligible to win the NEXTEL Cup Series championship. Those drivers will battle it out against a full field each week over the last 10 races in the “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.” Details regarding the grandstand hours for fans will be announced shortly.(RIR PR)(2-7-2006)
- Dodge Test at Kentucky UPDATE snowed out: Drivers from Evernham Motorsports, Penske Racing South, Chip Ganassi Racing and Petty Enterprises are expected to have a joint test session on Monday [Feb 6th] at Kentucky Speedway. The endeavor will be an attempt to come to a consensus as to what changes can be made to the 2005 Charger to make it competitive while racing in traffic. So far, the four major Dodge organizations have yet to come to an agreement, which hindered attempts to get a change from NASCAR. As of now, Penske Racing South is expected to field 2004 Dodge Intrepids at California Speedway and Las Vegas. Once a decision is reached, Dodge is expected to submit a new nose to NASCAR to see if it will be approved for this season.(NASCAR Scene), the Kentucky Speedway site lists three drivers testing on Monday, Feb 6th: #12-Newman, #40-Stremme, #42-Mears. Also....Fans can watch from the Turn 3 Fan Center at no charge. Schedule subject to change daily. Test times vary.(2-4-2006)
UPDATE: Dodge teams planning a joint test at Kentucky Speedway on Monday had to postpone the session due to snow in the area. Originally, drivers from Evernham Motorsports, Penske Racing South, Chip Ganassi Racing and Petty Enterprises planned to test together in an attempt to come to a consensus as to what changes can be made to the 2005 Charger to make it competitive while racing in traffic. The owners have yet to determine a new date for the test.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(2-6-2006)
- Testing at Texas: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #43-Bobby Labonte had an early opportunity to gain some valuable track time at Texas Motor Speedway as they participated in a special two-day tire test session Tuesday. With NASCAR's new testing policy limiting NEXTEL Cup teams to six designated tracks (Daytona, Las Vegas, Lowe's in Charlotte, Richmond, Indianapolis, Homestead-Miami) at appointed dates during the season, Earnhardt Jr. and Labonte are getting dialed in for the two races at Texas Motor Speedway during the two-day test. Labonte and Earnhardt Jr. will close out their test session Wednesday with another full day before heading to Las Vegas Motor Speedway next week with their NEXTEL Cup competitors for one of the six NASCAR-sanctioned test sessions.(TMS PR)(1-25-2006)
- Kurt Busch to test at Nashville: #2-Kurt Busch is scheduled to test at Nashville Superspeedway Tuesday, January 24. The test is closed to the public.(Nashville Superspeedway PR)(1-23-2006)
- Testing at Kentucky: #19-Jeremy Mayfield and #9-Kasey Kahne are scheduled to test at Kentucky Speedway on Monday, Jan. 16th; #4-Scott Wimmer is scheduled to test on Tuesday, Jan. 17th. Fans can watch from the Turn 3 Fan Center at no charge. Schedule subject to change daily. Test times vary.(Kentucky Speedway)(1-15-2006)
- Edwards and Busch Finish Goodyear test at Atlanta: #99-Carl Edwards and #2-Kurt Busch completed today the second of a two-day tire test at Atlanta Motor Speedway for Goodyear tires. Busch was fastest today with an unoffical best lap of 184.620mph (30.03
seconds). Edwards' fastest lap was 183.450mph (30.22 seconds). With the new testing rules NASCAR has imposed this year, drivers covet the opportunity to gain extra time on the track. "This was beneficial to our team because it gave us the chance to come out here to a track I love and knock the rust off," said defending Atlanta race winner, Carl Edwards. "It was nice just getting back in the car and gaining a little extra seat-time." Tickets are on sale now for all three days of racing excitement during the March 17-19 Golden Corral 500 race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with ticket prices starting at $30. For fans who want to attend all three days or racing action, including the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch and NEXTEL Cup races, three-day tickets start at $70 (quantities are limited). For more information, call the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211, 1-877-9AMSTIX or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.(AMS PR)(1-12-2006)
- Edwards, Busch test tires at Atlanta: Kurt Busch sported new colors today at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Dressed in a brand new blue firesuit, Busch took his first laps in the historic #2 Miller Lite car. Busch and three-time Atlanta Motor Speedway winner, #99-Carl Edwards, were at the track today to assist Goodyear Racing Tires with the first of a two-day test session. Busch's new crew chief, Roy McCauley said, "Today, Goodyear is looking at wear, heat, overall lap times, grip level and load. Based on all the data taken during the test, they will choose the tire that will not generate too much heat, but provide enough grip to make the driver comfortable." Edwards posted the fastest unofficial time of the day with a lap of 189.993 mph (29.18 seconds), while Busch's fastest lap was 187.869 mph
(29.51 seconds). Both times were comparable to race speeds. "Atlanta...man, this place is fast," said Busch. "I enjoy coming here.
I think all the drivers enjoy coming to this race track. With the new testing rules, this test is beneficial for our team," said Busch. "Goodyear gets to use our resources to test their tires, but the biggest thing is we get track time." Tickets are on sale now for all
three days of racing excitement during the March 17-19 Golden Corral 500 race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with ticket prices starting at $30. For fans who want to attend all three days or racing action, including the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch and NEXTEL Cup races, three-day tickets start at $70 (quantities are limited). For more information, call the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at
(770) 946-4211, 1-877-9AMSTIX or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com(AMS PR)(1-11-2006)
- Busch tests at Lakeland: Kurt Busch was at Lakeland Speedway last Wednesday getting acquainted with his new team. Breaking in the #2 Miller Lite Dodge with Busch was crew chief Roy McCauley and new car chief Corey Tucker, who honed his skills on Ryan Newman's Penske team that won six races in nine Busch Series starts last year.(Sporting News)(1-9-2006)
- May testing at Lowe's Motor Speedway...and repaving: Nextel Cup drivers are scheduled to test on May 1-2 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, NC. Since the May events at Charlotte will be held at night, testing will be held until 9:00pm/et each evening. Fans can watch the Charlotte test session free of charge from the track's main grandstand.(Paraphrased from Gordonline.com), also hearing that the track will be repaved with a scheduled start of Jan 16th thru March.(1-5-2006)
- Evernham tests at Kentucky: #10-Scott Riggs and Erin Crocker in an R&D Dodge, testing for Evernham Motorsports at Kentucky Speedway on Wednesday, Jan 4th. Also of note The Richard Petty Driving Experience will award four lucky fans a Rookie Experience package on Saturday, Jan. 7 when 2006 Kentucky Speedway single-event race tickets go on sale at 9:00am. More info at Kentuckyspeedway.com.(1-5-2006)
- Goodyear Testing in January at Atlanta & Texas: Goodyear will get a head start on its track tire development when it tests January 10-11 with Carl Edwards at Atlanta Motor Speedway and January 24-25 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bobby Labonte at Texas Motor Speedway. Neither track has changed dramatically, but Goodyear engineers want to gather feedback on new compounds, tire designs and mold shapes.(Sporting News)(1-2-2005)
- More on possible testing changes: NASCAR is contemplating revamping its testing procedures for 2006. Under the proposal, each manufacturer would receive six two-day tests at tracks that have Nextel Cup races. For example, the Chevy drivers would test on the same days at the same six places, the Ford drivers at presumably a slightly different six and the Dodge drivers at six. The tracks would have to be agreed upon by the owners of that brand. The current policy allows teams five two-day tests wherever they want, whenever they want. Daytona still would be mandatory for all teams. The goal of the change is twofold: to cut down on tire costs and to allow teams time to prepare for the car of the future, which is expected to make its debut in 2007. Goodyear would have engineering support on hand and sign out tires at the tests. Teams still would be allowed to test at tracks that don't have Cup races, but current tires would not be available.(Sporting News)(7-25-2005)
- Major Testing Changes for 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, Chevy 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 tracks. 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. Car owner Jack Roush says he would suggest that NASCAR limit testing to the Friday before each race, at that specific track: "As we work toward impound races, which I'm in favor of, if we used each Friday as a test date at the particular track, NASCAR could supervise the tests ... and tracks could sell tickets, the media could swarm, and the guys could wreck their cars if they wanted ... and we would have people watching with some interest, which, after all, is why we do this sport. Everybody would be at the track, with hotel rooms already, with the same tires, so it's all relevant, and without us having to run all these tractor-trailers up and down the road ... it's got so much going for it I can't imagine they'd ever do it."(Winston Salem Journal)(7-17-2005)
- Banning testing at some non Cup 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.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-11-2005)
PAST TESTING RULES
2005
As far as I know, the same rules as in 2004:
Each team (consisting of a car #) are allowed five two-day private-car tests and four single-day tests (14 total days).
A team with a rookie driver (#'s 5,23?,36,77) are permitted seven two-day tests and five single-day tests (19 total days) at a Cup track.
Teams can test unlimted amount at non Cup tracks such as:
Kentucky Speedway, Greensville-Pickens Speedway, USA Intl Speedway in Lakeland FL, Nashville Superspeedway
Texas World Speedway, Virginia Intl Raceway, plus proving grounds such as General Motors facility in Mesa, AZ, Ford's in Yucca, AZ and Dodge uses Chrysler's Chelsea Proving Grounds in Michigan.
ALL teams get charged a two-day test date for the Daytona 500.
West Coast Testing at California/Las Vegas in Jan/Feb will count as one two-day test.
AND - For new Cup and Busch teams or those not among the top 45 in the 2003 owner points and/or in the top 45 in the current season’s owner points will receive one two-day test and one single-day test (total of three days) until they attempt to qualify for a race. Each time a qualification attempt is made, teams will receive an additional two-day/single-day allotment, up to the maximum amount.
2004
Each team (consisting of a car #) are allowed five two-day private-car tests and four single-day tests (14 total days).
A team with a rookie driver (#'s 9,10,22,25,30,77) are permitted seven two-day tests and five single-day tests (19 total days) at a Cup track.
Teams can test unlimted amount at non Cup tracks such as:
Kentucky Speedway, Greensville-Pickens Speedway, USA Intl Speedway in Lakeland FL, Nashville Superspeedway
Texas World Speedway, Virginia Intl Raceway, plus proving grounds such as General Motors facility in Mesa, AZ, Ford's in Yucca, AZ and Dodge uses Chrysler's Chelsea Proving Grounds in Michigan.
ALL teams get charged a two-day test date for the Daytona 500.
AND - For new Cup and Busch teams or those not among the top 45 in the 2003 owner points and/or in the top 45 in the current season’s owner points will receive one two-day test and one single-day test (total of three days) until they attempt to qualify for a race. Each time a qualification attempt is made, teams will receive an additional two-day/single-day allotment, up to the maximum amount.
2003
Each team (consisting of a car #) can test up to five times at a track that holds a Cup race.
Each test can last two days.
A team with a rookie driver (#'s 0,14,16,41,42,66,74) can test nine times at a Cup track.
Teams can test unlimted amount at non Cup tracks such as:
Kentucky Speedway, Greensville-Pickens Speedway, USA Intl Speedway in Lakeland FL, Nashville Superspeedway
Texas World Speedway, Virginia Intl Raceway, plus proving grounds such as General Motors facility in Mesa, AZ, Ford's in Yucca, AZ and Dodge uses Chrysler's Chelsea Proving Grounds in Michigan.
ALL teams get charged a Test date for the Daytona 500, whether they test or not.
2002
Each team (consisting of a car #) can test up to seven times at a track that holds a Cup race.
Each test can last two days.
A team with a rookie driver (#'s 12,48,59) can test 12 times at a Cup track.
Teams can test unlimted amount at non Cup tracks (Kentucky, Greensville-Pickens, Lakeland, Nashville, etc)
ALL teams get charged a Test date for Daytona, Indy and Las Vegas whether they test or not.
