Truncated test

 

Cup drivers lost one day of testing at Charlotte because of heavy rains on Thursday. Even though Friday’s session, which started late because of track drying, was extended to 7:30 p.m., several drivers would like to get more track time before the series heads to Las Vegas for the first intermediate speedway race of the season (Mar. 10).

“This is a deal where we all roll out the new cars at the same time, and everybody is trying to get a jump on the rest of the guys,” said Martin Truex Jr. “If we think we need to learn more, or if we’ve got unanswered questions, then we’ll be somewhere testing next week.”

Greg Biffle agreed.

“I think a lot of it boils down to how well your car drove and then how your speed compares and how much stuff we get through (on the checklist),” Biffle said. “If the car is driving pretty good, the car has fairly good speed, and it looks like there are no major issues that we have to get figured out still, I think that there’s a possibility we wouldn’t test again.

“But if there’s still unanswered questions or we don’t have the speed or the drive-ability, I get out there and I’m like, ‘I just can’t drive it. It’s too loose. It won’t turn as the fuel burns off,’ and we need to continue to test, we’re going end up somewhere else.”

The Charlotte session was an official NASCAR test and doesn’t count against each organization’s allotment of four tests at venues that host NASCAR events. Teams also have the option of testing without restriction at tracks that don’t host NASCAR events, such as Nashville and Pikes Peak.