Michael Waltrip, who calls it “ridiculous” that NASCAR lets Cup teams test at Kentucky and Nashville, says the key to NASCAR ending expensive testing is simple: “Don’t let Goodyear sell us tires for testing.” Indeed NASCAR is considering just such a policy. Jimmy Makar, general manager for Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte, says a no-tire testing rule would lead to more virtual testing through computers. “Virtual testing would become more important,” Makar said. “If they put enough things in place to keep you from physically getting to a race track, obviously we’ll look at all the loopholes to get around it. Would it save us money? Motels and engines and travel. But would you go more high tech? Obviously it would be easier on the guys who go on the road, and those guys would be all for it. But crew chiefs will be screaming they can’t go test their ideas. I would be in favor of coming in Thursdays, a day early, for data acquisition testing at the tracks. Do that 12 times a year and that would take care of your testing.” Makar said he and many crew chiefs are in favor of the no-happy-hour proposal that NASCAR officials have considered, where teams would qualify on race setups and then cover their cars after pole runs and not touch them until Sunday morning. Mark Cronquist, Gibbs’ engine builder, goes a step further: “You could do all that on Friday, and then use only one motor. Let the engineers have the car Friday for computer data, Saturday you qualify, and Sunday you race. That way the engineers get data with the actual race motor at the track under actual conditions, much better than testing a month ahead. Like look at all those guys testing at Sears Point this week – that’s two months before we race there.”(Winston Salem Journal)(4-24-2004)
