Phoenix Racing and the #09 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Dodge with test driver Joe Ruttman will be preparing for the 45th annual Pepsi 400 on Saturday night, July 5 at Daytona International Speedway. Ruttman is scheduled to test on Tuesday, June 3 and Wednesday, June 4, 9:00am – 5:00pm/et. The #09 car has a strong record at Daytona, coming home third in the 2002 Daytona 500, capturing the outside pole for last year’s Pepsi 400 and posting a top-10 finish in the 2003 Daytona 500. The test session is free and open to the public with access to a section of the Oldfield Grandstand through the lobby of DAYTONA USA.( Speedway PR )(6-2-2003) UPDATE: On Tuesday at Daytona International Speedway, Ruttman tested a pair of owner James Finch’s #1 Transportation Dodges in preparation for the Busch Series 250 on Friday night, July 5. Jamie McMurray, in his rookie Winston Cup season driving the #42 Havoline Dodge, will be behind the wheel of the #1 Dodge for the NASCAR Busch Series 250. The 58-year-old Ruttman regularly tests for Finch and expects to be back at Daytona in a couple of weeks for another test session with the #09 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Dodge that will compete in the 45th annual Pepsi 400 on Saturday, July 5. Finch had slated Mike Wallace to drive the #09 car in the mid-summer classic. But Wallace was recently tapped as the substitute for the injured Jerry Nadeau in the #01 Army Pontiac leaving Finch with a driver vacancy that he has yet to fill. Ruttman, who has won an ARCA race at Daytona in 1982 and most recently captured the 2001 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 Craftsman Truck Series race, didn’t hesitate when asked if he would be interested in driving in the Pepsi 400 for Finch. “Are you kidding me?” Ruttman said. “I keep thinking each year, maybe this is my year to try it.” Ruttman will continue the test session on Wednesday. Testing is free and open to the public with access to the Oldfield Grandstand through DAYTONA USA. Tickets for both the Pepsi 400 and the NASCAR Busch Series 250 are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.( Speedway PR )(6-4-2003)
