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Testing at Martinsville UPDATE 3 Bliss in the #40 at Martinsville? yes, No DW:

October 9, 2002 at 12:00 AM

Testing at Martinsville UPDATE 3 Bliss in the #40 at Martinsville? yes, No DW: #28-Ricky Rudd is testing Monday at the Martinsville Speedway. Among those expected at the track Tuesday and Wednesday are #30-Jeff Green, #55-Bobby Hamilton, #7-Casey Atwood, #26-Todd Bodine, #02-Hermie Sadler and #28-Ricky Rudd (Tuesday only)(10-7-2002) UPDATE: Mike Bliss is testing at Martinsville in the #40 Dodge today and Jamie McMurray will be testing it on Wednesday. . Bliss is testing today because McMurray had a prior commitment with his BGN [#27] team today. Bliss could be the driver of the car at Martinsville as McMurray will not drive the #40 at that race due to a BGN race at Memphis. AND NASCAR.com’s Buzz reports other candidates for the car at Martinsville are Rich Bickle and Darrell Waltrip.(10-8-2002) UPDATE – Tuesday testing: #66-Hideo Fukuyama made a quick discovery at Martinsville Speedway Tuesday morning, one that didn’t need English to convey. When asked through an interpreter the most difficult thing he had experienced during his first couple of hours of testing at Martinsville Speedway, the Japanese driver furiously pumped his right leg to show the need for brakes on the half-mile track. “It is very slippery,” Fukuyama said through his interpreter Yumiko Maeta. “I have never hit the brakes so hard. A driver need to be really brave here. A driver has to do a lot of work here.” Fukuyama was one of four drivers testing at Martinsville Speedway Tuesday, preparing for the Old Dominion 500 NASCAR Winston Cup test on October 20. Other drivers testing included #30-Jeff Green, #55-Bobby Hamilton and #40-Mike Bliss, filling in for the injured Sterling Marlin. All four teams will be back Wednesday for a second round of testing, but Jamey McMurray will be in Marlin’ #40 Dodge. Fukuyama hopes to make the Old Dominion 500 field. If he does, it would be his second Winston Cup start in the Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford. Fukuyama struggled early with the tight Martinsville turns Tuesday, but had improved dramatically by late in the day. His best lap speed was around 88.693mph. Bliss and Hamilton ran quick laps of 90.603 while Green’ best lap was 90.300.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(10-8-2002) UPDATE 2: Darrell Waltrip has no plans to run the #40 car at Martinsville.(Fox Sports). Mike Bliss will drive the #40 at Martinsville.(10-9-2002)