Goodyear is having a tire test in preparation for the “Great American Race” 46th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 15, 2004. The test will be held on Monday, Sept. 8 and Tuesday, Sept. 9 at Daytona International Speedway with expected drivers being 2003 Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip, driver of the #15 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet and 2003 Daytona 500 second-place finisher Kurt Busch, driver of the #97 Rubbermaid Ford for Roush Racing. The test is free and open to the public with access to the Oldfield Grandstand available through DAYTONA USA, the official attraction of NASCAR.(DIS PR)(9-6-2003) UPDATE: Michael Waltrip and Kurt Busch kicked off a Goodyear tire test on Monday at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15, 2004. Waltrip, the 2003 Daytona 500 champion, and test driver Tim Fedewa turned laps in Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolets while Busch shook down a Roush Racing Ford. The objective of the test, which included an afternoon drafting session, is to help Goodyear develop a tire for next year’s “Great American Race.” “We’ve got a baseline on the car and began to search through different constructions and tire compounds that Goodyear wanted us to run,” said Waltrip, who also won the Daytona 500 in 2001. “This is my first tire test in a long time. So far we just do whatever they tell us to do.” “We’re testing for next year’s 500,” said Phil Holmer, Goodyear’s marketing manager for stock car racing. “We’ve had this same tire for seven years right now. We’ve got new materials, new compounds, new fabrics that weren’t in existence a few years ago and we want to try those out and find the best tire we can for the 500.” Goodyear obtains information and data from both the tires and the drivers during the test. While the test is beneficial to Goodyear, it’s also a big plus for both Waltrip and Busch as the last restrictor-plate race of the season is the Sept. 28 EA SPORTS 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and the Daytona 500 is just six months away. The Goodyear tire test will continue on Tuesday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and is free and open to the public with access to the Oldfield Grandstand through the lobby of DAYTONA USA, the official motorsports attraction of NASCAR.( DIS PR ) NOTES: and been told that the teams are testing the new spoiler height and larger plates proposed for use later this month at Talladega and that if the package works well at Taladega they’ll be using it at Daytona in Feb 2004.(9-9-2003)
