NASCAR is planning a major change in Nextel Cup testing for next season, limiting teams to six designated manufacturers tests. That means that all three carmakers – Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge – would each have to specify which six tracks they want their own teams to test at, and no other testing at any NASCAR track would be allowed. The Nextel Cup tour runs at 23 different tracks. Such a rule would keep multicar teams from testing at numerous different tracks. For example, Rick Hendrick’s four primary teams can each test at seven different tracks, giving that operation a total of 28 tests, while in contrast, single-car team owners like Cal Wells can only test at seven tracks. Under the proposed new rule, which is still being debated, each manufacturer would have to pick six tracks and its teams could test at those six tracks on those six dates. NASCAR also wants to bar any testing during the final 10 races of the season. Car owner Jack Roush says he would suggest that NASCAR limit testing to the Friday before each race, at that specific track: “As we work toward impound races, which I’m in favor of, if we used each Friday as a test date at the particular track, NASCAR could supervise the tests … and tracks could sell tickets, the media could swarm, and the guys could wreck their cars if they wanted … and we would have people watching with some interest, which, after all, is why we do this sport. Everybody would be at the track, with hotel rooms already, with the same tires, so it’s all relevant, and without us having to run all these tractor-trailers up and down the road … it’s got so much going for it I can’t imagine they’d ever do it.”(Winston Salem Journal)(7-17-2005)
