NASCAR Testing Page 3 News

June 18, 2005

Testing in Chicago: On Tuesday, June 21, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers #9-Kasey Kahne, #18-Bobby Labonte and #45-Kyle Petty will be testing at Chicagoland Speedway in preparation for the July 10th USG Sheetrock 400, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event. Several Busch series teams will also test. The test is closed to the public. (Chicagoland Speedway PR)

June 16, 2005

NEXTEL Testing: 07-Dave Blaney, #31-Jeff Burton, #5-Kyle Busch abd #25-Brian Vickers tested this week at Virginia International Raceway in preparation for the upcoming road-course events at Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen. (RCR and HMS Press Release)

June 15, 2005

Labonte fills in for Daytona Testing: With Mike Bliss still recovering from recent hernia surgery, NASCAR Busch Series driver Justin Labonte got behind the wheel of the No. 0 NetZero Chevrolet fielded by Haas CNC Racing during a one-day test session at historic Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the 47th annual Pepsi 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race on Saturday, July 2. (Insider Racing News)

June 8 2005

Kahne and Mayfield testing: Mayfield and the No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger team are scheduled to test at Carolina Motorsports Park, in Kershaw, S.C., next Thursday, April 16. The team will use the test to prepare for the June 26 roadcourse race at Infineon Raceway. (Evernham Motorsports)

Said Fastest in Infineon Testing: Boris Said (Centrix Financial Chevrolet) posted the fastest time on Tuesday during the first day of a two-day NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series test session at Infineon Raceway. Said, who has placed sixth the last two years at Infineon Raceway in the Dodge/Save Mart 350, turned the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course in 1 minute, 16.50 seconds. Jeff Gordon (DuPont Chevrolet) holds the track qualifying record of 1:15.968, set in 2004.  "I've always enjoyed coming out here and I'm hoping we can have a good finish in a few weeks," commented Said, who has won at Infineon Raceway in a variety of classes, including the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1998. "I know this track pretty well and think we'll have a good shot at it." Said was one of six drivers testing the course on Tuesday. Scott Pruett (Target Dodge) and Jamie McMurray (Texaco Havoline Dodge) both posted identical times of 1:16.60, while Kyle Busch (Kellogg's Chevrolet) clocked in at 1:17.25. Pruett, a road-race specialist and native of Sacramento, placed third in last year's event, while McMurray took second. (Infineon Raceway PR)

June 7 2005

Sonoma Testing Today and Wednesday: A group of seven NASCAR regulars will be back at Infineon Raceway today and Wednesday, June 8, to put some quality time in before they race for real in Infineon's biggest event of the year, the annual Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Nextel Cup, which takes place for the 17th time on Friday through Sunday, June 24 to 26. There are 43 spaces open to qualified drivers to see if they can pass the Dodge/Save Mart test of 110 laps around the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course. It takes about 1 minute, 16 seconds to make a fast lap. The NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers scheduled to participate in today and tomorrow's test sessions are Scott Pruett (No. 39 Target Dodge), Jamie McMurray (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge), Boris Said (No. 36 Centrix Financial Chevrolet), Jason Leffler (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet), Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet), Robby Gordon (No. 7 Harrah's Chevrolet) and Brian Simo (No. 33 Richard Childress Racing).  Infineon Raceway's gates open at 8 a.m and close at 5 p.m., with both days open to the public free of charge. (Sonoma News)

NASCAR Testing at MIS: Some of the half-dozen or so cars zipping around Michigan International Speedway here yesterday were covered only in a mundane gray primer. Others had a mismatched fender, or a plain paint job, looking very much unlike the endorsement-plastered cars that we see on the race tracks each Sunday in the Nextel Cup events. But even while tooling around in these somewhat ugly ducklings, the drivers were all looking for the same thing - an edge. Rusty Wallace, Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart and Dave Blaney hoped to find morsels of information that will help them get to the front in the first Cup race of the summer at MIS in less than two weeks.  "I've had some poles and five victories here at Michigan," said Wallace, who is in the midst of a farewell tour in his final season of racing full-time on the Cup circuit. (Toledo Blade) No speeds were reported on Monday with most of the teams continuing to test Tuesday during the two-day MIS test session.

May 25 2005

Edwards Testing at NSS: NASCAR’s latest sensation, Carl Edwards, was in town Tuesday to take in a few practice laps at Nashville Superspeedway. Edwards, ranked 13th in the Nextel Cup point standings, has been pulling double duty in the Busch Series as well, and will compete in the Federated Auto Parts 300 here on Sat., June 11. (Nashville City Paper)

May 5, 2005

Gordon Fast in Lowe's Testing: Jeff Gordon ripped his way around the 1.5-mile Lowe's Motor Speedway during testing Wednesday night with a lap at 189.056 mph, according to unofficial stopwatches.  That was almost 3 mph faster than his nearest rival. The 28.563-second lap was a tick faster than the track record of 28.590 seconds, 188.877 mph, set last year by Ryan Newman.  Gordon's lap came as teams concentrated on long runs. Seventeen teams took part in the two days of testing. Defending NASCAR Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr., preparing for his Coca-Cola 600 debut, posted a lap at 186.464 mph in the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet. All three of the Dale Earnhardt, Inc. cars were on hand for Tuesday's portion of the two-day test, but teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip opted to skip the final day. (TheState) The six-hour testing session was run without incident. The only caution flags were for debris and oil from Mears' blown engine late in the session.

The top-10 unofficial speeds:

    Driver              Car#    Speed
1.  Jeff Gordon         24      189.056
2.  Martin Truex Jr.    1       186.464
3.  Greg Biffle         16      186.047
4.  Mike Bliss          0       185.637
5.  Casey Mears         41      185.631
6.  Ken Schrader                185.478
7.  Elliott Sadler      38      185.287
8.  Kyle Busch          5       185.172
9.  Bobby Hamilton Jr.  32      185.084
10. Mike Skinner        23      184.906.

May 4, 2005

Charlotte Testing Numbers: Lowe's Motor Speedway's renovated racing surface continued to receive rave reviews Tuesday night as 22 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup teams prepared for the May 21 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and the May 29 Coca-Cola 600. With teams focusing on long runs and race set-ups, several drivers consistently posted laps in the mid-180 mph range, just shy of Ryan Newman's 188-mph track record.  Brian Vickers was fastest on the unofficial stopwatches with a lap at 186.130 mph in the No. 25 GMAC/ditech.com Chevrolet fielded by Hendrick Motorsports, but his night ended against the outside wall.  1. Brian Vickers, 25, 186.130; 2. Bobby Labonte, 18, 185.592; 3. Jeff Gordon, 24, 185.554; 4. Mark Martin, 6, 185.491; 5. Jeremy Mayfield, 19, 185.312; 6. Casey Mears, 41, 185.039; 7. Joe Nemechek 01, 184.982; 8. Kyle Busch, 5, 184.603; 9. Martin Truex Jr., 1, 184.300; 10. Kevin Harvick, 29, 184.281.  (LMS PR)

New Hampshire Testing: New Hampshire International Speedway will host three NASCAR test sessions in 2005. On Monday, June 27, the NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour teams will test on the 1.058 mile oval at “The Magic Mile.” Both series will be preparing for their first visit of the 2005 season on Thursday, July 14 and Friday, July 15. The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series teams will have the opportunity to test from Monday, July 4 through Wednesday, July 6. With NASCAR impounding the cars after qualifying, teams will be seeking to find the right balance for success during the New England 300 weekend on July 15 through 17. On Tuesday, August 30 and Wednesday, August 31, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams will have one final chance to perfect their set-ups for the September 18 SYLVANIA 300, the first race in the 2005 “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.” The Main Grandstand will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all test days. There will be no charge for admission to the grandstand area. (NHIS PR)

May 3, 2005

Richmond NASCAR Testing:  Richmond International Raceway will hold its biggest day of testing on Tuesday, May 3 in preparation for the May 13-14 NASCAR doubleheader. Participants include: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series/NASCAR Busch Series drivers Elliott Sadler, Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards and Dave Blaney, along with NASCAR Busch Series drivers Reed Sorenson, Tim Fedewa, Clint Bowyer, Jon Wood and Bobby East. Also on hand at RIR on Tuesday will be NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers Rusty Wallace, Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Ricky Rudd, Sterling Marlin, Scott Riggs, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Green and Hermie Sadler. Drivers will test in preparation for the FUNAI 250 and Chevy American Revolution 400. The grandstands will be open free to the public 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (RIR PR)

April 28, 2005

Richmond Testing: Elliott Sadler, who will be driving a Ford for Cup owner Robert Yates, will test the Busch car on May 3 at RIR. The session will include several Cup drivers, including Rusty Wallace, Ricky Rudd, Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle, Sterling Marlin, Scott Riggs, Jeff Green, McMurray and Kahne. Busch drivers scheduled to participate are series champion Martin Truex Jr., Reed Sorenson, Dave Blaney (moonlighting from the Nextel Cup series), Tim Fedewa, Clint Bowyer and Bobby East.  Testing will run May 2-4, and the grandstands will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Admission is free. (TimesDispatach)

April 27, 2005

Indy Testing Rained Out: Goodyear will attempt -- again -- to hold its NASCAR tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today after Tuesday's session was rained out.  The tire manufacturer postponed a similar session earlier this month when the track's surface was being grinded. Today's test, which includes four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon, is closed to the public. (Indy Star)

April 26, 2005

Gordon and Kenseth Indy Testing: Jeff Gordon is scheduled to begin preparations today for what could be a historic victory in August at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  The four-time Brickyard 400 champion is representing Chevrolet in a closed two-day tire test at the Speedway. He'll be joined by Ryan Newman (Dodge) and Matt Kenseth (Ford) as Goodyear checks to see how its new, softer tire compounds fare on Indy's newly paved surface. (Indy Star)

April 21, 2005

Kahne Fastest in Infineon : Two eventful days of NASCAR testing at Infineon Raceway concluded on Wednesday with Kasey Kahne posting the fastest times and another racer, rookie Jose Luis Ramirez, being released from a local hospital following his Turn 4 crash late Tuesday.  Kahne, one of three Nextel Cup series regulars at the test session, piloted his Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge through the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course in 1 minute, 16.32 seconds, on Wednesday. Carl Edwards (Ford) had the second- fastest time at 1:17.10, while Travis Kvapil (Dodge) rounded out the field with a time of 1:20.00.  "I really like coming out to the road courses and I think we'll have a better effort here than we did last year,'' said Kahne, who finished 31st in his first NASCAR road-course race, at Infineon in 2004. (San Francisco Chronicle)

April 19, 2005

NASCAR Testing at Infineon: The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series will visit Infineon Raceway for a two-day test session, April 19-20, on the 10-turn, 1.99-mile Sonoma Valley road course. This test allows NEXTEL Cup drivers to prepare for the Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway, June 24-26, which is one of only two road courses on the 36-race 2005 schedule. Drivers schedule to participate in the test are #9-Kasey Kahne ; #99-Carl Edwards; and #77-Travis Kvapil. Gates open at 8 a.m., with cars scheduled to take the track from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. This will be the first of two test sessions planned at Infineon Raceway in advance of the Dodge/Save Mart 350. The other test will take place June 7-8. On Wednesday, April 20, Infineon Raceway will make an announcement regarding the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series weekend. (Infineon Raceway PR)

April 6, 2005

Kentucky Testing:  NASCAR NEXTEL Series Cup teams from Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Petty Enterprises and Morgan-McClure Motorsports visited Kentucky Speedway today to help drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Martin Truex, Jr., Kyle Petty, Jeff Green and Mike Wallace develop a competitive edge for upcoming races on intermediate tracks.  Earnhardt, Jr., who was second in the series standings after the fifth race of 2004, used a fourth-place finish at Bristol to move to 17th in the current standings. After generating an average finish of 21st through the first five series races this season, the No. 8 team is intent on building stronger racecars. "We weren't that good at intermediate tracks last year and we haven't really been that strong this year," Earnhardt, Jr., said. "That's why we're here testing. Hopefully, we can learn something. We're working on a lot of different things all across the board with our engineering department, trying to build a better racecar for the rest of the season. (Motorsports)

April 5, 2005

Kentucky Testing: Several NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams are scheduled to test at the speedway this week. The Tuesday, April 5 schedule includes Petty Enterprises drivers Kyle Petty and Jeff Green along with Morgan McClure driver Mike Wallace. Evernham Motorsports driver Jeremy Mayfield and Hendrick Motorsports rookie Kyle Busch are scheduled to test on Wednesday, April 6. They will be joined by the Chip Ganassi Racing R&D Team. The Thursday, April 7 schedule features Biagi Brothers NASCAR Busch Series driver Ryan Hemphill and Michael Waltrip Racing. The Indy Racing League IndyCar Series opens Kentucky testing with Paul Dana and Hemelgarn Racing on Friday, April 8. (Kentucky PR)

April 2, 2005

Richmond Testing: Testing, One, Two, Three: An update on drivers scheduled to test at Richmond International Raceway prior to the FUNAI 250 NASCAR Busch Series race on Friday May 13 and the Chevy American Revolution 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race on Saturday, May 14: April 5-6: Justin Labonte #44 NBS; Michel Jourdain #10 NBS; Kenny Wallace #22 NBS April 26: Bobby Hamilton Jr. #32 NNCS  May 2: Carl Edwards, #60 NBS May 3: Kasey Kahne #9 NNCS; Sterling Marlin #40 NNCS; Jamie McMurray #42 NNCS; Ricky Rudd #21 NNCS; Rusty Wallace #2 NNCS; Scott Riggs #10 NNCS; Jeff Green #43 NNCS; Carl Edwards #60 NBS; Reed Sorenson #41 NBS  May 4: Rusty Wallace #2 NNCS (RIR PR)

March 31, 2005

Goodyear Tire Testing and Lowe's: Goodyear has had tire issues this season, to say the least, so give the company credit for testing different combinations with Joe Nemechek last week on Lowe’s Motor Speedway’s new surface. Nemechek, after running laps that threatened Ryan Newman’s track record of 188.877 mph, told reporters the new surface will promote “more side-by-side racing.” The grinding of the track smoothed the bumps out of Turn 4. (FortWayne)

Texas NASCAR Testing: Eight NASCAR teams maintained the beehive of activity at "The Great American Speedway" Tuesday and Wednesday preparing for the upcoming Samsung/RadioShack 500 race week. The flurry of testing activity marks the second straight week NASCAR teams trekked to Texas in search of speed.  Drivers putting their NEXTEL Cup machinery through the paces were Bill Elliott, 16-time NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver; Kasey Kahne, 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Raybestos Rookie of  the Year; Boris Said and Robby Gordon.  Busch Series teams included defending champion Martin Truex Jr.; 2003 O'Reilly 300 winner Joe Nemechek; Paul Menard and Brandon Miller.  Wednesday's speeds: NEXTEL Cup: Elliott, 188.416 mph; Said, 187.500 mph; Kahne, 186.657 mph.  Busch: Nemechek, 185.886 mph; Menard, 182.432 mph, Truex and Miller, no speed reported.  Miller was uninjured after late afternoon contact with the turn four wall.  Tuesday's speeds: NEXTEL Cup: Gordon, 189.474 mph; Kahne, 186.981 mph; Said, 186.207 mph; Elliott, 185.440 mph.  Busch: Truex, 185.249 mph; Nemechek, 184.300 mph; Miller, 183.175 mph; Menard, 182.432 mph.  Kahne was not injured after making contact with the second turn wall in the morning. More Texas Samung Radio Shack Information at http://www.texasmotorspeedway.com (Texas Motor Speedway PR)

March 24, 2005

Texas Testing Speeds: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams are taking advantage of the off week in the schedule and heading to Texas. This week, five Cup Series teams and two Busch Series team are testing at Texas Motor Speedway. It is the start of three weeks of testing by various teams in preparation for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 weekend April 14-17, including a Nextel Cup event April 17 on FOX.  Three drivers were on the track Tuesday, including Terry Labonte, Michael Waltrip, and Mark Martin (Busch car). On Wednesday, the testing included Sterling Marlin, Dave Blaney, Kyle Petty, Labonte, Waltrip, and Reed Sorenson (Busch) on the track. Blaney and Marlin continue their testing Thursday.   Labonte was the fastest of the day Wednesday with a speed of 189.474 mph. Next quickest was Petty (189.208), followed by Waltrip (188.811), Marlin (188.153), and Blaney (187.240). Sorenson toured his Busch car around the track at 184.932 mph. (FoxSports)

March 23, 2005

Burton Bristol Testing: Nextel Cup veteran Jeff Burton will join the Busch-whacker brigade in the April 2 Sharpie Professional 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Burton was among the drivers testing at BMS Tuesday. "I’ve got a good car and I’m real happy with what I’m seeing on the track," Burton said. "We’ve been trying to figure out what kind of setup we need to win this race. I think we are in good shape."  The practice of Nextel Cup drivers with major league affiliations competing in the Busch Series has been a hot topic for years. Fair or not, the Nextel gang swept the top nine positions in last week’s Busch event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. (TriCities)

Hamilton Jr. Testing in Martinsville: Back in the winter, during the narrow NASCAR NEXTEL Cup offseason, Bobby Hamilton Jr. was asked to pick out a handful of tracks where he would like to test. Martinsville Speedway was at the top of that list.  And Tuesday there Hamilton was, logging lap after lap around the .526-mile oval in the primer gray Tide Monte Carlo preparing for the April 10th Advance Auto Parts 500.  "At the beginning of the year the team asked me where I wanted to go test and this was one of the places," Hamilton said during his team's lunch break Tuesday. "There were only two tracks on the circuit where I hadn't run a full race and this was one of them." (Martinsville PR)

March 22, 2005

Lowe's NASCAR Testing:  Lowe's Motor Speedway has scheduled 35 hours of open testing for NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch and NEXTEL Cup Series teams in preparation for the track's slate of May races, including the May 21 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and the May 29 Coca-Cola 600. The testing schedule: April 26, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. May 3-4, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. May 9-10, NASCAR Busch Series, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.  Many of the bumps in the track's racing surface were removed recently during an asphalt grinding process and the testing sessions mark the first, and only, opportunity for teams to experiment with the new surface prior to the May events. (LMS PR)

March 10, 2005

Vickers Testing: GMAC Racing is scheduled to test at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Tuesday, March 15. The team already has completed tests at California, Daytona and Las Vegas this season. In addition, The No. 25 team will field a brand new GMAC/ditech.com Chevrolet for this weekend's 400-miler at Las Vegas. Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 333 will make its first-ever laps during Friday morning's NEXTEL Cup practice session. (Hendrick PR)

Hmiel to run all three at AMS and  Testing: Before last week, Shane Hmiel was just driving in the NASCAR Busch Series. But during Wednesday’s test at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hmiel was preparing to run all three races during next weekend’s Golden Corral 500 weekend. Hmiel will start the weekend in the World Financial Group 200 Craftsman Truck race on Friday (March 18), then compete in the Aaron’s 312 Busch race on Saturday (March 19) and finish up with the Golden Corral 500 on Sunday (March 20).  Hmiel was testing his NEXTEL Cup car on Wednesday and turning the fastest laps of 2005, as he circled the 1.54-mile fast track in 29.26 seconds (189.424 mph).  (AMS PR)

Top 6 Speeds

#08 Shane Hmiel, NEXTEL Cup, 189.474
#4 Mike Wallace, NEXTEL Cup, 185.791
#5 Mike Skinner, Craftsman Truck, 181.414
#22 Bill Lester, Craftsman Truck, 179
#38 Brandon Whitt, Craftsman Truck, 178.723
#12 Robert Huffman, Craftsman Truck, 178.666

March 9, 2005

Newman Fastest in NASCAR Testing at AMS: The garages at Atlanta Motor Speedway were crowded Tuesday as 14 NASCAR teams prepared for the new tires, new impound rules and new spoiler heights that will be in effect for the March 18-20 Golden Corral 500. NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers Carl Edwards, Jeff Green, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth (testing a Busch car), Travis Kvapil, Bobby Labonte, Jason Leffler, Jeremy Mayfield, Ryan Newman, Scott Riggs and Scott Wimmer; Busch drivers Brandon Miller and Denny Hamlin; and Craftsman Truck driver Jack Sprague all tested Tuesday at NASCAR's fastest track.  As expected, four-time Atlanta pole winner Ryan Newman was fastest again on Tuesday, topping the unofficial speed chart with a lap of 29.57 seconds (187.487 mph).  "The car feels good, the same as yesterday," Newman said. "Atlanta is a good track to test many different things, so we're working on car balance, the new tires, and the aero package." (NASCAR)

Marlin in Bristol Testing: Sometimes even veteran drivers experience something new.  With snow flurries swirling, Sterling Marlin turned laps in his Dodge Charger at Bristol Motor Speedway on Tuesday afternoon to prepare for April’s NASCAR race. For the first time in his 29-year NASCAR career, Marlin tested the settings on his car in the snow. "It takes a lap or two for the tires to come in," Marlin said about driving in the freezing temperatures. "When it’s 25 degrees, it takes a little time to get some heat in the tires to get some more grip. After three or four laps, you are back where you normally are." (Bristol Courier)

Testing at Kentucky: Evernham Motorsports will be testing tomorrow Wednesday at Kentucky Speedway.  From 9:00am - 5:00pm subject to change. (Kentucky Speedway PR)

Drivers Testing in Atlanta: “Rocketman” Ryan Newman has four straight pole positions at the fastest track in the NASCAR, but Atlanta Motor Speedway’s fastest man didn’t have speed on his mind during Monday’s test at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Newman was in Atlanta for the first day of a two-day test for the March 18-20 Golden Corral 500. Also testing were Scott Wimmer, Travis Kvapil, Jason Leffler and Busch driver Brandon Miller. “It’s a really good track for us as far as the pole goes,” Newman said. “We’re good here for parts of the race, but not the whole race, so that’s what we’re working on. We’re working on long runs, tires, set-ups, and reliability.” (AMS PR)

Kahne Unhurt In Testing Crash: Wednesday marked the first day of testing at California Speedway for Nextel Cup Series drivers in the 2005 season. The day was highlighted by press conferences held for Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Elliott Sadler and Jeremy Mayfield, all former winners at the superspeedway.  High winds were the topic of conversation for Wednesday's testing session as speeds neared 35 mph. Jimmie Johnson said, "It just moves your car that much. If anyone has ever driven anything that big in windy conditions, it's amazing to feel the car buffering around that much."  In testing action, Kasey Kahne's tire ruptured, sending him into the wall. After being reviewed by the doctors, the 2004 Auto Club 500 pole sitter was released in good health, with the only damage coming to the backside of his car.  (NASCAR)

NASCAR Fans Flock to NASCAR Cali Testing:  Unpainted stock cars were a big draw Wednesday as more than 7,000 fans made their way to California Speedway for the first of two NASCAR Nextel Cup test sessions.  It mattered little to those pressed against fences, many wearing the colors of their favorite drivers, that the Chevrolets, Fords and Dodges on the track failed to resemble the usual grid. It was more an opportunity to get ready for the 2005 season.  Following the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 20, the Nextel Cup teams will head West once again for the Auto Club 500 on Feb. 27 at the Fontana track.  (SBSun)

Feb. 2, 2005:

Edwards Okay after Busch Crash: Carl Edwards stayed in Las Vegas on Wednesday instead of heading to Fontana to run test his Nextel Cup car.  He probably wishes he had just gone ahead with everyone else.  Edwards crashed in the opening minutes of Busch Series testing, which opened Wednesday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  David Reutimann, testing Joe Nemechek's Busch car, lost an engine heading into Turn 4, and Edwards ran right through his oil. Johnny Sauter spun and didn't hit anything, but Edwards smacked the wall.  Scott Wimmer was the only other Nextel Cup driver around to test at LVMS's 1.5-mile track. The other regulars are at Fontana for the start of a two-day test at California Speedway.  "I should have been paying more attention," Edwards said. "I was driving down in the corner and I could see the oil on the track. I almost saved it, but ended up tagging the wall."  (NASCAR)

NASCAR Preseason Testing California: NASCAR's Preseason Thunder, several NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series teams will participate in a test session at California Speedway from January 31 - February 3, 2005. The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series test dates, February 2 - 3.  Drivers Include, #01-Joe Nemechek, #07-Dave Blaney, #0-Mike Bliss, #2-Rusty Wallace, #4-Mike Wallace, #5-Kyle Busch, #6-Mark Martin, #7-Robby Gordon, #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr, #9-Kasey Kahne, #10-Scott Riggs, #11-Jason Leffler, #12-Ryan Newman, #14-John Andretti, #15-Michael Waltrip, #16-Greg Biffle, #17-Matt Kenseth, #18-Bobby Labonte, #19-Jeremy Mayfield, #20-Tony Stewart, #21-Ricky Rudd, #22-Scott Wimmer, #24-Jeff Gordon, #25-Brian Vickers, #29-Kevin Harvick, #31-Jeff Burton, #32-Bobby Hamilton Jr., #38-Elliott Sadler, #40-Sterling Marlin, #41-Casey Mears, #42-Jamie McMurray, #43-Jeff Green, #44-Terry Labonte, #45-Kyle Petty, #48-Jimmie Johnson, #49-Ken Schrader, #50-Jeff Fuller, #66-Hermie Sadler, #73-Eric McClure, #77-Travis Kvapil, #88-Dale Jarrett #91-Bill Elliott, #97-Kurt Busch and #99-Carl Edwards. Today join a Q&A session: A question and answer session featuring Casey Mears, Jamie McMurray, Scott Riggs and Joe Nemechek will be conducted in the Speedway's "Party Zone" tent in Suite Lot C. Race fans can submit questions prior to the forum for the drivers upon entering the tent. Gates open to the public on Wednesday at 10:00am and guests are invited to watch the cars on-track from above the Terrace Suites along Pit Road. After the cars have finished testing for the day, guests are invited to attend the fan forum, which will be limited to the first 1,500 guests in the standing-room-only tent (guests will be admitted in the tent beginning at 4:30 p.m.). Guests can also attend the test on Thursday, February 3rd from 10:00am - 4:00pm.

Feb. 1, 2005:

New NEXTEL Cup rules, have drivers happy:  NASCAR drivers worried about how the new rules package would affect the handling of their Nextel Cup cars felt better after testing Monday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Two of the changes for this year involve the use of softer-compound tires and a reduction of rear spoilers by an inch to 41/2 inches high on all non-restrictor-plate tracks.  "There has been a lot of hysteria around the changes this year," said Mark Martin, preparing for his final full season of in NASCAR's top series. "My car feels just like it did a year ago.  "Some gains are made at the racetrack and some are made at the shop."  Martin's No. 6 Ford team was one of 43 Cup operations taking part in the first of two days of testing on the 11/2-mile oval. Most of the teams also will try out the new rules Wednesday and Thursday at California Speedway.  (Herald Standard)

Vegas Testing Today: NASCAR Nextel drivers will be testing today at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  Driver Includes John Andretti, Stanton Barrett, Greg Biffle, Dave Blaney, Mike Bliss, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Fuller, Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon, Jeff Green, Bobby Hamilton Jr., Kevin Harvick, Dale Jarrett, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Travis Kvapil, Bobby Labonte, Jason Leffler, Sterling Marlin, Mark Martin, Jeremy Mayfield, Eric McClure, Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears, Joe Nemechek, Ryan Newman, Kyle Petty, Scott Riggs, Ricky Rudd, Elliott Sadler, Hermie Sadler, Johnny Sauter, Ken Schrader, Tony Stewart, Brian Vickers, Mike Wallace, Rusty Wallace, Michael Waltrip and Scott Wimmer.

Jan 20, 2005

Daytona  Testing Notes: Hermie Sadler, Robby Gordon skipped all of Thursday testing, and Kirk Shelmerdine left after Thursday morning's session.

Thursday Afternoon/PM testing Speeds: 1st) Martin Truex, Jr., Chevrolet - 188.798; 2nd) Jeff Green, Dodge - 188.052; 3rd) Rusty Wallace, Dodge - 187.931; 4th) Brian Vickers, Chevrolet - 187.903; 5th) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet - 187.805; 6th) Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet - 187.731; 7th) Scott Riggs, Chevrolet - 187.707; 8th) Matt Kenseth, Ford - 187.680, 9th) Scott Wimmer, Dodge - 187.645 and 10th) Sterling Marlin, Dodge - 187.641

Thursday Morning testing speeds: 1. Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 47.850 seconds, 188.088 mph 2. Jeff Green, Dodge, 47.966, 187.633 3. Bill Elliott, Dodge, 48.001, 187.496 4. Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 48.021, 187.418 5. Bobby Hamilton Jr., Chevrolet, 48.056, 187.282 6. Sterling Marlin, Dodge, 48.097, 187.122 7. Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, 48.187, 186.772 8. Mike Wallace, Chevrolet, 48.192, 186.753 9. Mark Martin, Ford, 48.197, 186.734 10. Johnny Sauter, Dodge, 48.213, 186.672

January 19, 2005:

Evening/PM Testing Speeds: 1st) Scott Riggs, Chevrolet - 186.097 mph; 2nd) Johnny Sauter, Dodge - 185.935; 3rd) Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet - 185.924; 4th) Robby Gordon, Chevrolet - 185.300; 5th) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet - 185.193; 6th) Jeff Green, Dodge - 185.060; 7th) Mike Wallace, Chevrolet - 185.006; 8th) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet - 184.907; 9th) Matt Kenseth, Ford - 184.824 and 10th) Kasey Kahne, Dodge - 184.733

Morning Testing Speeds: 1. J. Nemechek 185.605 2. S. Riggs 185.601 3. J. Johnson 185.185 4. J. Green 184.904 5. M. Truex Jr. 184.843 6. M. Wallace 184.608 7. M. Martin 184.388 8. E. McClure 184.366 9. K. Kahne 184.249 10. J. Sauter 184.124 11. M. Kenseth 184.102 12. B. Labonte 184.083 13. S. Marlin 183.557 14. J. Andretti 183.187 15. B. Vickers 183.094 16. D. Cope 183.064 17. R. Wallace 183.035 18. J. Burton 183.001 19. D. Blaney 182.997 20. S. Wimmer 182.771 21. D. Stremme 182.035 22. B. Hamilton Jr. 181.995 23. K. Lepage 181.910 24. R. Gordon 181.752 25. H. Sadler 181.415 26. K. Earnhardt 181.025 27. K. Shelmerdine 178.504

January 18, 2005:

Top-10 Afternoon Speeds: 1st) Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet - 184.661, 2nd) Scott Riggs, Chevrolet - 184.646, 3rd) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet - 184.260, 4th) Jeff Green, Dodge - 184.249, 5th) Kasey Kahne, Dodge - 183.718, 6th) Mark Martin, Ford - 183.587; 7th) Mike Wallace, Chevrolet - 183.557, 8th) Eric McClure, Chevrolet - 183.270; 9th) Bobby Labonte, Chevrolet - 183.154 and 10th) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet - 183.132 (See stories below for morning speeds)

Riggs Tops Daytona Morning Speeds: It marked the start of the second three-day testing date for this year's Nextel Cup drivers in preparation for the 2005 Daytona 500 on February 20th. "All the guys at the shop did a great job - we brought two new Valvoline Chevrolets here and both cars are pretty close in speed," Riggs said to NASCAR.com. "This is good for us because we're getting a pretty good feel to where we need to be." Joe Nemechek (48.697), Jeff Green (48.801), Mark Martin (48.923) and Jimmie Johnson (48.930) completed the top-five. A total of 23 drivers and teams were on the track. Other big names testing this week include: Bobby Labonte, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne and John Andretti. Robby Gordon, just back from a 12th-place finish in the Dakar Rally, was 19th fastest. In last week's test, Jeff Gordon led the first-day times with a lap of 48.531 185.448 m.p.h.). Overall, Dale Jarrett has posted the fastest single-car lap this month with a time of 48.269 seconds (186.455 m.p.h.).(SportsNetwork)

NASCAR Preseason Testing Today Tuesday: Former NASCAR Cup series champions Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte and Rusty Wallace, along with two-time series runner-up Jimmie Johnson, hit the track Tuesday in the second Nextel Cup session of Preseason Thunder scheduled at Daytona International Speedway.  Odd-numbered finishers in the points standings tested last week. Even-numbered finishers are testing this week. Johnson, who won eight races last year — including four in the first Chase for the Nextel Cup, NASCAR's playoff-style championship run — finished eight points behind 2004 champion Kurt Busch. (USA Today)

January 16, 2005:

Weather Extends Truck Testing: Foul weather appeared to be moving out of the Daytona Beach, Fla., area late Sunday morning, which should allow Craftsman Truck Series teams to get some work in at Daytona International Speedway. Saturday's first day of preseason tesiong was a washout. And ThatsRacin.com's Jim Utter said strong winds and rain lasted through the night and into early Sunday.  Saturday's rainout and the early morning rain prompted NASCAR to extend Sunday's test session to 9 p.m. They also added a Monday session as team prepare for their season opener next month. (ThatsRacin)

January 15, 2005:

Truck Daytona Testing Washed Out: A day-long rain washed out Saturday's first day of NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing for the Craftsman Truck Series at Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR canceled the day's session about noon ET.  Truck teams will return Sunday morning, with a 30 percent chance of rain. Sunday afternoon looks clear. Monday is an open date, but it is unclear whether NASCAR will bring the trucks back to complete their two-day test at Daytona. The Nextel Cup Series returns Tuesday for a three-day test. (NASCAR)

Harvick skipping Daytona testing, Kerry to test: Kerry Earnhardt is assigned to test Harvick's #29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet next week during the second round of Nextel Cup Series Preseason Thunder. Earnhardt has a busy testing schedule. Earlier this week, he tested RCR's #33 Chevrolet that he'll try to qualify for the Daytona 500. He is also scheduled to test his full-time 2005 ride -- owner Billy Ballew's #15 Chevrolet truck, this weekend. (NASCAR.com)

January 13, 2005:

Thursday's Top-10: 1st) Mike Bliss, Chevrolet - 186.959 mph, 2nd) Jamie McMurray, Dodge - 186.459, 3rd) Greg Biffle, Ford - 186.189, 4th) Travis Kvapil, Dodge - 186.181, 5th) Jeremy Mayfield, Dodge - 186.070, 6th) Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet - 185.893, 7th) Mike Skinner, Dodge - 185.782, 8th) Elliott Sadler, Ford - 185.759, 9th) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet - 185.705, 10th) Carl Edwards, Ford - 185.697

Rain Halts Daytona Testing: The third day of NASCAR Nextel Cup testing was going nowhere Thursday with rain falling on the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway. Partly cloudy skies were forecast Thursday afternoon, so teams and NASCAR officials were holding out hope of getting a little more preseason testing under their belts.  Dale Jarrett topped the speed chart on Wednesday with a best lap at 186.455 mph, while Jeff Gordon has the hot hand Tuesday, putting up a 185.448 mph lap. Gordon was second-fastest on Wednesday.  Twenty-six Nextel Cup teams are at the track. It wasn't clear yet how officials planned to work around the weather. Rain is aqain in the forecast for Friday.  We'll keep you posted on the weather and let you know when cars are able to get back on the track. (ThatsRacin)

January 12, 2005:

Top-10 Afternoon Speeds:\ 1st) Dale Jarrett, Ford, 186.455, 2nd) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet - 185.736, 3rd) Greg Biffle, Ford - 185.094, 4th) Jeremy Mayfield, Dodge - 184.972, 5th) Elliott Sadler, Ford - 184.926, 6th) Mike Bliss, Chevrolet - 184.839, 7th) Randy LaJoie, Chevrolet - 184.831, 8th) Boris Said, Chevrolet - 184.824, 9rh) Kurt Busch, Ford - 184.528, 10th) Mike McLaughlin, Chevrolet - 184.475

Top-10 Morning Speeds: 1st) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet - 184.786 mph, 2nd) Dale Jarrett, Ford - 184.509, 3rd) Greg Biffle, 184.487, 4th) Jeremy Mayfield, Dodge - 184.411, 5th) Boris Said, Chevrolet - 184.098, 6th) Elliott Sadler, Ford - 184.004, 7th) Randy LaJoie, Chevrolet - 183.978, 8th) Kurt Busch, Ford - 183.974, 9th) Mike McLaughlin, Chevrolet - 183.602, 10th) Ryan Newman, Dodge - 183.434

35 Drivers Testing in Vegas: All 10 drivers in last year's Chase for the Nextel Cup have indicated they will visit LVMS Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 to prepare for the March 13 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400. In 2004, eight of the 10 drivers who made the Chase for the Championship tested in Las Vegas.The top-10 drivers from 2004 are part of a record list of 35 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series drivers who will attend the two-day test on the 1.5-mile superspeedway. The testing list includes Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ryan Newman — two drivers who didn't test in 2004 and struggled during the race. (FoxSports)

Mexico City NASCAR testing: NASCAR driver Jeff Burton roared around Mexico City's winding road course Wednesday in a test for the first points race outside the United States in 50 years.  "It seems like there's 30 corners back there," Burton said after taking the first few laps in a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. "It never stops. You mess up one of those and you mess up all the rest." The Nextel Cup driver was here to help teams figure out the braking, shifting and gearing needed for the Busch series race March 6. Burton was chosen by NASCAR because he won't be in the race. The sanctioning body believes a Busch driver might have gained an advantage by testing.

January 11, 2005:

Daytona Testing: Afternoon Top-10: 1st) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet - 185.448 mph, 2nd) Randy LaJoie, Chevrolet - 185.231, 3rd) Boris Said, Chevrolet - 184.642, 4th) Elliott Sadler, Ford - 184.604, 5th) Greg Biffle, Ford - 184.456, 6th) Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet - 184.170, 7th) Jeremy Mayfield, Dodge - 184.109, 8th) Kurt Busch, Ford - 184.042, 9th) Dale Jarrett, Ford - 184.000, 10th) Mike Bliss, Chevrolet - 183.872

Morning Top-10: 1st) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet - 185.265 mph, 2nd) Boris Said, Chevrolet - 185.181, 3rd) Jeremy Mayfield, Dodge - 184.506, 4th) Greg Biffle, Ford - 184.430, 5th) Kurt Busch, Ford - 184.419, 6th) Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet - 184.158, 7th) Dale Jarrett, Ford - 183.993, 8th) Elliott Sadler, Ford - 183.824, 9th) Ricky Rudd, Ford - 183.666, and 10th) Ryan Newman, Dodge - 183.411

NASCAR testing at Talladega:  Testing will be held Tuesday and Wednesday for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Teams Including drivers Joe Ruttman, Eric McClure and Keith Segars; NASCAR Busch Series Driver Johnny Sauter and ARCA RE/MAX Series Teams Including Drivers Chad Blount, Mike Guerity, Chris Serio, Jeff Spraker, Doug Reid III, Tim Steele and Terry Jones. (Talladega Superspeedway PR)

January 8, 2005:

Johnson And Kahne to test Goodyear Tire: It may be January, but the 2005 NASCAR season is already revving up, beginning with a Goodyear Tire test scheduled for January 11-12 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Rookie of the Year Kasey Kahne and Hendrick Motorsports superstar Jimmie Johnson will test the brand new Goodyear compound at NASCAR’s fastest track next week as they prepare for the March 18-20 Golden Corral 500 weekend. The test session will be closed to both the media and the public. Next week’s test will be the first with the new Atlanta Goodyear tire, which is a different compound than any for any other speedway. Mark Keto, lead engineer for Goodyear’s stock car tire development group, said the session will be used to gauge how well the new compound works with the 2005 NASCAR rule changes, such as the reduced spoiler height. NASCAR officials are expected to be on hand to analyze the results. Johnson won eight races last season, including the Oct. 31 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta, earned an amazing 20 top-5 finishes and dominated the series for most of the year. A string of poor finishes left him in second place in the final NEXTEL Cup standings, a mere eight points behind champion Kurt Busch. Kahne came tantalizingly close to his first NEXTEL Cup win last season as a rookie, garnering five second-place finishes. He finished the season 11th in points and is now poised for a phenomenal sophomore season with his Evernham Racing crew. Additional NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series teams are scheduled to test throughout February and March for the spring race weekend. (Atlanta Motor Speedway PR)

Rolex 24hr testing begins for Cup drivers: Several Nextel Cup drivers have invaded Daytona International Speedway this weekend as testing for the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series' season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona got under way.  Nine full-time Nextel Cup Series drivers -- and three others with close NASCAR connections -- are slated to drive Daytona Prototypes in the season-opening Rolex 24 on Feb. 3-6. Six of them were in action Friday as the three-day test began on the 3.56-mile Daytona road course. Reigning Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears, Jamie McMurray and brothers Bobby and Terry Labonte will all drive top-of-the-line Daytona Prototypes in the 43rd running of North America's premier endurance race.  Busch, Kenseth, Biffle, Mears, McMurray and the Labonte brothers all got behind the wheel Friday, some strapping into a Daytona Prototype for the very first time.  Stewart -- who was within an hour of winning the 2004 Rolex 24 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. before a mechanical failure ruined their effort -- will miss testing this weekend while he competes in the Chili Bowl Midget race. (NASCAR)

January 6, 2005:

Burton RCR to Test in Mexico: Richard Childress Racing and Jeff Burton, driver of the No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and winner of 20 races in the NASCAR Busch Series, will be the test team.  The one-day test is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. in Mexico City (10:00 a.m. ET) on the 2.518-mile course. The "Mexico 200" will be an 80-lap event, and marks the NASCAR Busch Series' return to road course racing for the first time since 2001 at Watkins Glen. (FoxSports)

January 4, 2005:

DEI Sends Young Drivers for road testing: Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) is trying to stay a step ahead of the competition. With the 2005 racing season rapidly approaching and a new road race in Mexico City slated for the NASCAR Busch Series schedule, DEI recently enrolled members of its driver development program into the Advanced Road Racing two-day session at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving near Phoenix. The goal was to sharpen the drivers’ road-race skills under the supervision of some serious road-course masters. The students included Shane Hmiel, who has shown great promise since joining the Busch Series at the end of 2001, and Ryan Moore, a 21-year-old upstart who only recently signed with DEI after earning Busch North Series rookie-of-the-year honors in 2003. Driver Paul Menard, another DEI hopeful, was also on hand for a day of instruction. To help accelerate the learning curve, GM Racing called upon veteran Corvette driver Ron Fellows. Fellows’ role was to assist Bondurant’s expert team in teaching advanced road-racing skills to the DEI drivers in both the classroom and on the track. Hmiel will run a full Busch schedule this year, and to be successful he will have to apply what he learned from Fellows and the Bondurant instructors..(Autoweek)

December 30, 2004:

Dodge Charger Unveiled and Daytona Preseason Testing: Reigning NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Kurt Busch, four-time series champ Jeff Gordon and defending Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be among the featured drivers during the first session of NASCAR Preseason Thunder scheduled for Jan. 11-13 at Daytona International Speedway. The first of two Nextel Cup Preseason Thunder sessions consists of the drivers whose owners finished in the odd-numbered positions of their respective championship standings. Some drivers, however, have switched sessions with NASCAR's approval. Each test day runs from approximately 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting.The opening session of NASCAR Preseason Thunder kicks off Tuesday, Jan. 11, with the official unveiling of the new Dodge Charger that will compete in the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. (FoxSports)

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