well kinda slow in the new nascar thread so posted a couple articles, this one is just on a tire test at indy, maybee it will help in qualifying wagers when indy rolls around,who knows...
The three NASCAR drivers who had the most success in the 2005 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard are getting a head start on this year's race.
Defending champion Tony Stewart was joined Monday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by 2005 runner-up Kasey Kahne and pole winner Elliott Sadler for the first of a two-day Goodyear tire test.
For Stewart, the test laps were his first on the track since the victory lap last August that marked the realization of a boyhood dream for the Columbus native.
"I don't like testing," Stewart said. "I just like driving around this track. Period."
The drivers represent each of NASCAR's three manufacturers: Chevrolet (Stewart), Ford (Sadler) and Dodge (Kahne).
Preparations for the 13th Brickyard on Aug. 6 begin in earnest in July when all the teams will be in town for open testing.
The value of this closed session to the participating teams is minimized because they are working strictly with Goodyear engineers on testing various tire compounds and not on their car setups.
But as Sadler noted, anytime a team is at the racetrack and its competition isn't, that can't hurt.
"To be able to bring a car that we're probably going to race here a couple months early, get some laps, take it home and fine-tune it and test it again (in July), I think it's kind of an advantage for the three teams here," he said.
Kahne said the long straightaways with no traffic around gave him ample time to think about how close he came a year ago.
He and Stewart spent their lunch hour reminiscing about their duel. Kahne is eager for a rematch.
"It'd be nice to have the same two battling for victory," he said. "It'd just be better if there's a different outcome."
The three NASCAR drivers who had the most success in the 2005 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard are getting a head start on this year's race.
For Stewart, the test laps were his first on the track since the victory lap last August that marked the realization of a boyhood dream for the Columbus native.
"I don't like testing," Stewart said. "I just like driving around this track. Period."
The drivers represent each of NASCAR's three manufacturers: Chevrolet (Stewart), Ford (Sadler) and Dodge (Kahne).
Preparations for the 13th Brickyard on Aug. 6 begin in earnest in July when all the teams will be in town for open testing.
The value of this closed session to the participating teams is minimized because they are working strictly with Goodyear engineers on testing various tire compounds and not on their car setups.
But as Sadler noted, anytime a team is at the racetrack and its competition isn't, that can't hurt.
"To be able to bring a car that we're probably going to race here a couple months early, get some laps, take it home and fine-tune it and test it again (in July), I think it's kind of an advantage for the three teams here," he said.
Kahne said the long straightaways with no traffic around gave him ample time to think about how close he came a year ago.
He and Stewart spent their lunch hour reminiscing about their duel. Kahne is eager for a rematch.
"It'd be nice to have the same two battling for victory," he said. "It'd just be better if there's a different outcome."
