It might be tough for the race fans in Elkhart Lake, Wis., to imagine right now, but June and the inaugural NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Road America isn’t that far off. And in two weeks, a car on the track will make that event seem even closer. Similar to the one-car/one-team tests at Autdromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal prior to the series’ first races there in 2005 and 2007, respectively, NASCAR will conduct a test at Road America on Wednesday, March 24 to gather data to share among teams that will compete there this summer. Road America replaces the former event at the Milwaukee Mile on the 2010 schedule. NASCAR has turned to Roush Fenway Racing and crew chief Mike Kelly to conduct the test while road-course ace BorisSaid will be the driver. Said has 20 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts to his credit and 14 of those have come on road courses. He’s collected two poles and six top-five finishes in those races. His best result was a second-place finish in the 2006 event in Mexico City from the pole. He’s run in each of the three races in Mexico City and Montreal, however, he won’t compete in the June 19 event at Road America. That factor is a must for the test driver. Jeff Burton and Richard Childress Racing handled the Mexico City test while RCR and Terry Labonte were on point for the test in Montreal. Neither driver participated in the inaugural races at those tracks.(NASCAR PR)(3-9-2010)
