Several NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will continue to test their new 2013 cars at Charlotte Motor Speedway Wednesday, Dec. 12. Fans are invited to view the two-day test session from the grandstands, free of charge. Testing will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a break for lunch at noon. Each day, the Ford Grandstand on the front stretch will open at 8:30 a.m. for the public to enjoy the on-track debut of the new 2013 cars. Fans should enter through gate 5B, by the main ticket office.(CMS)(12-7/12-2012)
Drivers / Cars Scheduled to test at Charlotte include:
#2-Brad Keselowski, #22-Joey Logano, #11-Denny Hamlin, #20-Matt Kenseth, #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #5-Kasey Kahne, #24-Regan Smith (testing for Hendrick), #31-Jeff Burton, #27-Austin Dillon (testing for RCR), #29-Kevin Harvick, #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, #9-Marcos Ambrose, #39-Ryan Newman, #13-Casey Mears #47-Bobby Labonte, #21-Trevor Bayne. Notes, Images and videos are being posted on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s twitter and some retweets on Jayski’s Twitter.
NOTES: In the morning session on the 2nd day, #11-Denny Hamlin wrecked about 30 minutes into the test session. See an image of the car at Jeff Wackerlin/SPEED Twitter. Sixteen cars are testing with #9-Ambrose testing instead of #43-Almirola.(12-12-2012)
AM Speeds for Wednesday 2nd session:
#5-Kahne 193.771
#20-Kenseth 193.050
#29-Harvick 192.458
#42-Montoya 192.020
#24-Smith 191.435
The current track record of 193.708, just set in Oct by #16-Biffle.
There is one final session scheduled this afternoon, if the rain holds off.
See Day 2 morning speeds on the CMS Day 2 Morning Test Session Speeds page (pdf).
SPEEDS for the rain shortened Day 2 afternoon session:
#5-Kasey Kahne 193.112
#20-Matt Kenseth 191.993
#24-Regan Smith 191.510
#27-Austin Dillon 191.442
#29-Kevin Harvick 190.981
The afternoon session on Day 2 was rained out after around 30 minutes due to rain. See Day 2 afternoon speeds on the CMS Day 2 Afternoon Test Session Speeds page (pdf).
UPDATE: On Day 1 of the final 2012 test for the new sixth-generation race car, the drivers had their say as they turned laps around the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway. Today, it was the crew chiefs ‘ turn. Enthusiasm for the design and performance of the new car extends beyond just the drivers. ‘This car is the perfect example of technology helping our sport,’ said Steve Letarte, crew chief of the #88 National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevy. ‘I think we now have three makes out here that my little boy at nine-years old can tell the difference between. I think that is the goal that anybody can walk through the parking lot and see a Chevy, a Ford and a Toyota and know that they are different. That’s really what it comes down to if you ‘re into racing you want to watch cool cars go around the track. I think the simple fact is in 2013 we have cooler cars.’
The look of the new sixth-generation car has been a hit and so has the performance of the new car. Drivers experienced speeds on Tuesday that have the potential to break the current qualifying record at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as the speed chart topped the 193-mile-per-hour range. ‘It felt fast and I knew where my throttle was, so I knew it was as fast as I have ever been around this track’ said Kasey Kahne. ‘I just think this car goes around the corner quicker.’
Fresh off his trip to Germany and Kuwait with the USO, Joey Logano is beginning to get used to his new surroundings, and it never hurts to have current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Brad Keselowski as your new teammate with Penske Racing. ‘He won the championship, so he’s pretty good’ joked Logano. ‘It’s really cool to have a teammate that’s a student of the sport, who really studies it and will push me to do things differently. I think the coolest thing that Brad is able to do is he’s able to think outside of the box like way outside the box.’
After potential record-breaking speeds throughout both test sessions, rain cut the afternoon short. Teams will have two more open tests before the beginning of the 2013 season starting with Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway Jan. 10-12. The sixth-generation car will return to Charlotte Motor Speedway Jan. 17-18, when the teams will have their final opportunity to test the car before Speedweeks in Daytona.(NASCAR)(12-12-2012)
