#74-Tony Raines turned in the fastest lap of the first week of private testing July 9 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, recording a lap of 179.918mph. For the second day in a row, #1-Jeff Green was second fastest at 179.874 followed by #41-Casey Mears at 179.696. Speeds increased dramatically from Tuesday, as the top seven drivers all recorded speeds faster than #19-Jeremy Mayfields 176.214 lap, fastest Tuesday. Rain showers forced the lunch hour to be extended an extra hour today, and the track was closed an hour early at the end of the day due to a thunderstorm. Most drivers focused on qualifying setups in cooler temperatures Wednesday after a day of finding race trim in the 90-degree heat Tuesday. Although testing pays nothing and earns the team zero Winston Cup Series points, Raines said being at or near the top of the charts in any test but particularly in preparation for an important race like the Brickyard 400 is great for a team such as BACE, which lacks a major sponsor. It gives this team a boost, he said. When youre on top of the charts, they (the crew) just walk different, stand a little taller. That is certainly good for morale everyone works a little faster, little harder. When you have a good car, it stays a good car. Its hard to make a bad car fast. It gives us a little more confidence when we come back in August. #40-Sterling Marlin is as confident about his chances for the 10th running of the Brickyard 400, scheduled for Aug. 3, as he has been in years. While he clocked the fourth-fastest lap of the day at 179.341. A second round of NASCAR Winston Cup Series private testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway gets underway Monday, July 14. Reserved-seat Race Day tickets for the Brickyard 400 remain available. Tickets and parking can be purchased on the World Wide Web via www.imstix.com or by calling the IMS Ticket Office at (800) 822-INDY or (317) 492-6700.( Brickyard400.com )(7-10-2003)
