Atlanta Motor Speedway’s 2010 NASCAR season kicked off at 9:31 am/et on Tuesday when #5-Mark Martin took to the high-banked track to begin two days of tire testing by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. to determine the premier tire for the Kobalt Tools 500 on March 7. Four NASCAR veterans ‘Â Martin, #99-Carl Edwards, #77-Sam Hornish, Jr., and #56-Martin Truex, Jr. ‘Â are assisting Goodyear with testing at Atlanta Motor Speedway where Martin posted the fastest lap with a time 29.938 (185.183). Martin’s time of 29.938 seconds was faster than Truex, Jr.’s qualifying lap of 30.106 (184.149 mph) for September’s Pep Boys Auto 500. He nearly matched his pole-winning performance for last March’s Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway when he posted a 29.640 (187.045). In addition to Martin’s time, Edwards posted a lap of 29.953 seconds (185.102 mph), followed by Truex, Jr. with a 30.009 (184.744) and Hornish, Jr. with a 30.560 (181.413). While most teams are focused on assisting Goodyear, the Atlanta Goodyear Test holds added importance for Truex, Jr., who is participating in his first Goodyear test with his new Michael Waltrip Racing team and with crew chief Pat Tryson. All four drivers will return Wednesday for day two of the test.(AMS)
AND With Goodyear tire testing ongoing at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the March 7 Kobalt Tools 500, two NASCAR notables commented on possible changes to the rear wing on NASCAR’s COT. Carl Edwards and Alan Gustafson, crew chief for Mark Martin, offered a point-counterpoint debate on the topic in separate interviews during their designated lunch break. Edwards: “I think whatever [NASCAR] can do to take downforce away is great for the sport, great for the racing and good for the fans. Atlanta is one of the last tracks where you can really manhandle a car, drive and slide the car sideways. Taking downforce away will make more tracks like that, which is good.”
Gustafson: “Aesthetically, I like the spoiler. I grew up watching cars with a spoiler on there. I think it aesthetically makes sense. But I think we just have to be careful; we have refined these cars now to where they drive good with a good aero balance. We can’t throw that away for the aesthetics of the spoiler, so we have to make sure performance wise that the aerodynamic balance of the car is similar or better than what we have now.”(AMS)(1-13-2010)
