Sunday, August 5, 2007

NASCAR teams prepare for tire test at Charlotte

LONG POND, Pa. - Four NASCAR Nextel Cup teams are scheduled to participate in a Goodyear tire test at Lowe's Motor Speedway Monday and Tuesday.

All four manufacturers are represented in the session. Penske Racing's Ryan Newman (Dodge), Roush Fenway Racing's David Ragan (Ford), Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s Martin Truex Jr. (Chevrolet) and Team Red Bull's Brian Vickers (Toyota) will participate in the session.

"This is the most important tire test in the 48-year history of the speedway," said H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway. "The track has changed dramatically since it was paved. It has become much faster and, even though it has more grip, we've seen several drivers crash by themselves. Why this is happening we don't know, but I suspect it's a combination of the loose nature of these old 'twisted sister' race cars, the speeds and a hard tire compound.

"The paving has now aged sufficiently to adapt well to a new compound tire and we need all the handling help we can get for the cars since the Oct. 13 Bank of America 500 will be a pivotal race in the Chase. Everyone in the garage area is going to be paying a lot of attention to this test."

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