The Milwaukee Mile will play a key role in the performance of select Nextel Cup Series teams this coming Monday, August 28 and Tuesday, August 29. Richard Childress Racings three Cup drivers, #29-Kevin Harvick, #31-Jeff Burton and #07-Clint Bowyer will be testing over the two days, in preparation for similar ovals ahead on the Nextel Cup Series schedule, including Martinsville, Va, Richmond, VA, and Phoenix, AZ. Potentially all three Evernham Motorsports teams are expected, and there may be others. In a show of appreciation to our fans, we welcome all to come out and watch these Nextel Cup teams conduct valuable test sessions from our all-aluminum grandstands free of charge, commented Milwaukee Mile president & CEO Andy Randall. We are pleased the teams allow us this opportunity for our fans to watch. The grandstands will be open from 9:00am until 5:00pm both days. There will be no infield access to view the test sessions. Limited concessions will be available.(Milwaukee Mile site), also hearing Joe Gibbs Racing may also attend the test.(8-24/28-2006)
UPDATE: been told that rain cut testing at Milwaukee to 2-3 hours, some drivers testing were #9-Kahne, #19-Sadler, #10-Riggs, #31-Burton, #1-Truex Jr., #29-Harvick & #20-Stewart and possibly #07-Bowyer. No speeds reported.(8-29-2006)
UPDATE 2: Over two scheduled days, The Milwaukee Mile played host to seven Nextel Cup teams, fine-tuning their flat track set-ups for tracks primarily in Loudon, NH and Martinsville, VA. Set to hit the track Monday morning were #29-Kevin Harvick, #31-Jeff Burton, #9-Kasey Kahne, #10-Scott Riggs, #19-Elliott Sadler, #1-Martin Truex, Jr. and #20-Tony Stewart. The #07 team car was driven by RCR development driver Peyton Sellars on Monday only. Rain mid-morning on Monday, August 28, followed by steady drizzle stopped testing in earnest for the day. Kahne left mid-morning due to a Tuesday commitment. The other two Evernham teams elected to stay Tuesday after initially intending on a one-day session. During persistent drizzle, RCR development driver Peyton Sellars drove the #07 car at his second Nextel Cup test session at about 35mph, assisting Todd Berrier and the RCR team to calculate fuel mileage on caution laps, depending on the gear ratio. Sellars and the rain were the show for the afternoon. The fans who streamed in early morning to watch practice for free in the grandstands saw a full day of activity on Tuesday, with just a 30-minute lunch interrupting a full day of testing with all but Kahne returning. Tuesday morning was overcast, then turned partly cloudy with temperatures in the mid-70’s. The teams had hustled and took to the track right at 9:00am, testing in earnest. Truex and Stewart hopped between two test cars each, while the other ‘Cup drivers tested just one car each. According to Scott Riggs, Kahne got in about 30 laps before the rain came Monday, noting the set-ups between the #9 and #10 have been very similar, allowing vital information gathered by Riggs’ team Tuesday to benefit Kahne in his quest to be in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Of note, Burton tested at The Milwaukee Mile in September, 2000 the week of the fall Loudon, NH NEXTEL Cup race and went on to lead all 300 laps.(Milwaukee Mile PR/site with images)(8-30-2006)
