Atlanta Testing UPDATE 4: #99-Jeff Burton will test at Atlanta Motor Speedway for Goodyear on Jan 7-8th and #28-Ricky Rudd will test there on Jan 21-22.(AMS PR)(1-2/7-2002) UPDATE: testing was pushed back a day due to poor weather and will now run Tues/Wed instead for Burton and Goodyear(PRN’s Garage Pass radio show)(1-7-2002) UPDATE 2: no speeds to report, but hearing Burton has blown two engines during the test and has brought out a 2nd car to test(1-8-2002) UPDATE 3: Jeff Burton’s two-day Goodyear Tire test started slowly Tuesday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as Burton managed to complete just six laps before blowing his second engine of the day. The team pulled out the backup car with a third engine to complete the afternoon.s test session. “We don.t really know what happened,” Burton said. “We would rather spend our time getting back out on track and taking advantage of our time than thinking analytically about how and why the engines blew. We’ll figure that out later. But we really don’t have any idea why both of them blew they’re the same engines we had here in November for the race, just rebuilt.” Mart Keto, Goodyear’s lead engineer for NASCAR, said there will be enough time Wednesday to complete the Goodyear testing. Goodyear is trying to increase wear for the left-side tires before the March 10 Atlanta 500. “We don’t want to change too much with the tires, because we’ve had some really good races here in Atlanta, and we don’t want to screw that up,” Keto said. “We’ll test 5 or 6 different left-side compounds and leave the right side alone.” Burton is the first driver on track in 2002. The next scheduled test is Jan. 23-24 with Ricky Rudd and Robert Yates Racing.(AMS PR)(1-8-2002) UPDATE 4: After shaking off all the cobwebs yesterday, #99-Jeff Burton returned to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second of a two-day Goodyear Tire test Wednesday, turning a top lap of 184.125 mph. Burton lost two motors and turned only about 20 laps Tuesday before pulling out the backup car and third and final engine. They continued the test Wednesday with that package, completing tests for Goodyear designed to help find a left-side tire with better wear before the March 10 Atlanta 500. “I think we found something good,” Burton said. “I feel good about it. We came in looking for better grip and more wear, and that.s what we found.” The next scheduled test at Atlanta Motor Speedway is Jan. 23-24 with Ricky Rudd and Robert Yates Racing.(AMS PR). NOTE: Yates has said Rudd would not test but the team would, so look for another driver to sub for Rudd.(1-10-2002) (1-9-2002)
