The second day of Goodyear tire testing at Atlanta Motor Speedway concluded with NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers feeling confident the two-day test will result in an improved tire for the upcoming Kobalt Tools 500 on March 7. Four NASCAR drivers ‘ #99-Carl Edwards (Ford), #77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (Dodge), #5-Mark Martin (Chevy) and #56-Martin Truex, Jr.(Toyota) ‘ assisted the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. with tire testing at Atlanta Motor Speedway and their shared sentiment provided high praise for Goodyears efforts to provide a quality tire compound for the 2010 Kobalt Tools 500. ‘We have a little more grip than we had in the old tire and they hold up just fine,’ explained Truex, Jr., who posted a top lap time of 30.127 seconds (184.021 mph). ‘[There are] no issues at all with wear, which is kind of odd considering for how cold it is and the track being totally green with no rubber worked in ‘ normally you see more wear ‘ so I dont see any issues coming out of the tires at all. They have a little bit more grip, which everyone will be happy about. It will definitely be a better tire.’ For the second consecutive day, Martin posted the fastest lap time of 29.932 seconds (185.219 mph). ‘Its going well,’ said Martin, who won the pole for the 2009 Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. ‘They have some stuff that grips better than the tire that we ran here last fall. That tire had great durability ‘¦ and theyre trying to find something that has that same durability and be a little more grip friendly.’ In addition to Martin and Truex, Jr.s times, Edwards posted a top lap of 30.022 seconds (184.665 mph) on the second test day, while Hornish, Jr. posted a lap of 30.227 (183.412). ‘Goodyears brought a few different types of tires and I ran on a bunch of the tires today,’ said Edwards. ‘This afternoon were going to do long runs on them. They seem pretty good. The tire we raced here last time, Ive driven a couple on short runs. A couple tires they brought I think are better than that tire. ‘[Theyre] more drivable and maybe lend themselves to better racing.’ For more information on the Kobalt Tools 500 or to purchase tickets, contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway Ticket Office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX, or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.(AMS)(1-13-2010)
