| The skies and the
cars were gray and black but the garage area at Kentucky Speedway
was a blur of red shirts today as the Dodge development team
conducted on-track testing to prepare for the Dodge return to NASCAR
Winston Cup Series racing in 2001.
The Dodge development team - led by veteran
crew-chief-turned-team-owner Ray Evernham - tested two engines in
two Dodge Intrepid R/T test cars during the rain shortened event.
"This is the most extensive on-track testing
we've done to date," said Evernham. "We are focused on the
engine and the aerodynamic package. One car has our second phase
developmental engine so we can study the engine performance on a
high-speed track. The other car has the Dodge Craftsman truck engine
so we can focus on the aerodynamic performance. Having the variety
of equipment and drivers here will help us collect a lot of good
information and data we can use to prepare our cars for presentation
to NASCAR later this summer."
Drivers participating in today's test include:
Casey Atwood, a current NASCAR Busch Series competitor who will
drive the number 19 Dodge Intrepid R/T prepared by Evernham
Motorsports. Steve Grissom, a current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
competitor who has driven in Winston Cup events and serves as a test
driver for Petty Enterprises.
In May, Grissom participated in the first on-track
test for Dodge at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida, and last
month both Atwood and Grissom drove the Dodge Intrepid R/T in tests
at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina.
Today, Atwood drove the test car with the
second-phase developmental engine being prepared by Dodge for the
Winston Cup Series. He completed a series of five-lap runs followed
by reviews of downloaded test data and conversations with factory
and team engineers about the feel of the car and engine on the
track.
"The car is really handling great," said
Atwood. "It feels really good out there but we are paying
attention to how the motor performs. There's a whole lot more motor
under the hood than I am used to in my Busch series car."
Atwood added that the Kentucky Speedway is a great
new track. "It's a little like Las Vegas, but it has more
banking. It is a fun track to drive."
Steve Grissom, driver of the number 43 Dodge Ram
prepared by Petty Enterprises for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series,
already had some experience at the new facility. Grissom
participated in an initial tire testing session at the facility in
May, then he returned in June to compete in the truck series race.
Today, Grissom turned several dozen laps to test the aerodynamics
package on the car.
Evernham said they chose the Kentucky Speedway for
several reasons. "One, it's a high-speed track that allows us
to really test the engine and aero in a way you really can't on a
smaller track. Second, we are able to test a number of different
options here. And third, it doesn't count as one of our NASCAR
tests, so we'll probably be back."
Although Kentucky Speedway is not currently used
for NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing, the 1.5-mile tri-oval is
similar to tracks used by the series in Las Vegas and Texas. The
smooth asphalt surface has 14 degree banking in the corners. Built
at a cost of more than $150 million, the facility opened for testing
in May and held its inaugural races in mid-June.
As the first day of the three-day test session
concluded, Evernham declared the event a success.
"We continue to make great progress with our
500-day countdown to Daytona," said Evernham. "We are
gathering some great information on the motor and body of this race
car. While you are never where you want to be in a huge effort like
this, we are where we need to be, according to our schedule."
When the Dodge Test Cars are put back in the
hauler Thursday afternoon, there will be 220 days left to prepare
for the Daytona 500 in 2001. |
