Atlanta Testing UPDATE speeds: not sure what other drivers are there, but Christian Fittipaldi is testing a Petty Enterprises Dodge today at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was the first time the former Formula One and current CART driver had driven a Winston Cup-style car at a NASCAR Winston Cup Speedway. The team is talking with companies now regarding sponsorship.(Williams Company PR) AND Also testing were Cup drivers #99-Jeff Burton and #44-Jerry Nadeau. Busch drivers testing included #5-Ricky Hendrick, #10-Scott Riggs, #87-Joe Nemechek, #24-Jack Sprague, #57-Jason Keller, and #15-Lydon Amick. All are expected back on Tuesday. UPDATE: Defending Aaron’s 312 winner Joe Nemechek brought his BGN car back to Atlanta for the first time since his win last March and immediately took over the speed charts Monday during a two-day test of 11 Cup and BGN teams testing for the Oct. 25-27 NAPA 500 weekend. Nemechek turned a lap at 185.356 mph in his team’s second car, the #88 NEMCO entry. Nemechek was shaking the car down for David Reutimann, who will also compete in the Oct. 26 Aaron’s 312. Reutimann also ran the first BGN race at Richmond this season, finishing 16th. The only other driver in the 180-mph range was Christian Fittipaldi, who is testing a Petty Enterprises car in preparation for next season, when he will drive a mixed schedule of ARCA, Busch and Winston Cup races. Monday he tested an ARCA car to prep for the ARCA 400 next March in Atlanta. The speeds: Winston Cup: #44-Jerry Nadeau, 179.708 #99-Jeff Burton, 179.595 ARCA Speeds #43-Christian Fittipaldi, 180.175 BGN Speeds: #87/88-Joe Nemechek, 185.356 #57-Jason Keller, 179.417 #15-Lyndon Amick, 177.465 #10-Scott Riggs, 177.465 #24-Jack Sprague, 177.465 #5-Ricky Hendrick, 177.124 #88-David Reutimann, 176.729 #79-Keith Murt, 173.467.(AMS PR)(10-7-2002)
