Kahne and Setzer test at Motor Mile: Two Sprint Cup teams participated in a test this past Tuesday (March 17th) at Motor Mile Speedway. The track in Radford, VA was because of the similarities it shared with the paper-clip Martinsville Speedway short track in Henry County. Banked 15 degrees in the turns, MMS has a steeper banking than Martinsville by a mere three degrees. Certain similarities are the reason many teams throughout the NASCAR spectrum choose Motor Mile Speedway as their proving ground for waging a competitive campaign at weekend short tracks. In attendance on this particular Tuesday were Kasey Kahne, driver of Richard Petty Motorsports #9 Budweiser Dodge, and the #46 Romeo Guest sponsored Dodge, owned by Carl Long and driven by Dennis Setzer. It was Kahnes first outing at the .416-mile oval. For veteran driver Dennis Setzer, the asphalt corners of MMS have become as familiar as the finish line at Martinsville. For crew chief Kenny Francis, the Radford short track could serve as a solution for more speed at the Sunday short tracks looming on the Sprint Cup schedule.”This is a pretty good track and pretty close to home. Its got good grip and is pretty consistent, so you can learn here; you dont have to chase the tires all day,” explains Francis. Carl Long and Setzer have partnered up in order to attempt the 500-lap event at Martinsville later this month. By the end of the test session the #46 team was a half-second off the pace set by Kahnes #9 Dodge, with a top time of only 16.5.(MMS site)(3-22-2009)
