Testing at Indy: #18-Bobby Labonte, #45-Kyle Petty and #43-Jeff Green are scheduled to test Tuesday and Wednesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.(Roanoke Times)(7-5-2004)

redriderbob

 

Truex Jr. to test for DEI at NHIS: Busch Series points leader Martin Truex Jr. was to test two Dale Earnhardt Inc. cars this week at New Hampshire. Truex, who's 24 and a second-generation racer, has experience at the track, but this will be the first time for him to drive a Cup car on it. "I learned everything from my dad," says Truex, who raced for his father in New Jersey before joining the Chance 2 team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Teresa Earnhardt. "That's made me a better racer. Hopefully, our testing can help Junior win the championship." Truex is expected to make his Cup debut at the fall New Hampshire race, but Slugger Labbe, crew chief for Michael Waltrip's No. 15 DEI car, says that if the tests are exceptional, he will gladly allow Truex to race in one of his team's cars in this month's race at NHIS.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(7-5-2004)

redriderbob

 

Another Wallace? Mike Wallace's daughter, Chrissy, 16, is a candidate for Jack Roush's Gong Show testing program. Roush is putting together a TV package for the series of driver tests.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-5-2004)

redriderbob

 

More on the 'Gong Show': Roush Racing President Geoff Smith told Claire B. Lang of XM Satellite Radio that Roush Racing is in the process of ogranizing their Gong Show (driver talent search) that could handle from 12-20 perspective drivers and they're negotiating with television networks to produce the driver search into a television show. "We are actually in the process of contract negotiation with two (network) parties," Smith told Lang. "In the meantime if (the broadcast negotiations) don't quite line up with our needs for 2005 we'll go ahead and make the driver selection to fill a truck spot for 2005."
As to Chrissie Wallace and word that she might be invited to such a Roush Gong show Smith told XM, "Jack Roush had told me at Daytona that Mike (Wallace) had commented about his daughter Chrissie. And of course Jack and I looked at one another and said well you know those Wallaces all of them have a really unique personality. They're all very up beat,never say die people, all of them have been successful in motorsports and so we thought well if this gal has that same sort of spirit that the Wallaces all show she might be worth taking a look at but we haven't really gone into looking at it any more than that." Smith says the Roush "Gong Show" concept is in the hands of LA entertainment attorneys right now and added that "within three weeks we aught to know definitive which network we're going to be with and then we can make some announcements."(XM Satellite Radio)(7-8-2004)

redriderbob

 

Indianapolis Motor Speedway says #18-Bobby Labonte was fastest of three Nextel Cup drivers testing Tuesday as he lapped the 2.5-mile oval at 176.013mph. #43-Jeff Green was second at 175.547, and #45-Kyle Petty was third at 174.123. The three were scheduled to wind up their two-day test Wed.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(7-8-2004)

redriderbob

 

NEXT WEEK: Cup Series private testing will resume Monday, spanning into Tuesday, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with 23 drivers, including former Brickyard 400 winners Ricky Rudd and Jeff Gordon scheduled to test. Drivers and teams will prepare for the 11th annual Brickyard 400, scheduled for Aug. 8. Testing is 9:00am - 5:00pm/ct both days, with a lunch break. Although the tests are private, the public may view testing at no cost from the South Terrace grandstands, located inside the track between Turns 1 and 2. A final round of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series private testing is scheduled at IMS for July 19-20.
The tentative drivers scheduled:
#01-Joe Nemechek; #2-Rusty Wallace; #4-Jimmy Spencer; #6-Mark Martin; #9-Kasey Kahne; #10-Scott Riggs; #14-Larry Foyt; #16-Greg Biffle; #19-Jeremy Mayfield; #21-Ricky Rudd; #22-Scott Wimmer; #23-Tony Raines; #24-Jeff Gordon; #25-Brian Vickers; #38-Elliott Sadler; #40-Sterling Marlin; #42-Jamie McMurray; #49-Ken Schrader; #60-Jason Leffler; #77-Brendan Gaughan; #99-Jeff Burton; and #98-Todd Bodine.(Team Ford Racing)(7-9-2004)
Monday's Speeds: #4-Jimmy Spencer, the 2001 Brickyard 400 pole winner, was fastest in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series testing July 12 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Spencer, driving the #4 Wide Open Energy Drink Chevrolet for Morgan-McClure Motorsports, turned a lap of 50.4155 seconds, 178.517mph on a sunny and humid day in Indianapolis with temperatures reaching 86 degrees. This was the first day of a two-day test in preparation for the 11th Brickyard 400 on Aug. 8. Testing resumes from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. (EST) Tuesday, and the public is welcome to watch testing for free in the South Terrace grandstands, located inside the track between Turns 1 and 2. Additional teams are scheduled to participate in private testing on July 19-20. Unofficial Speeds at Indy Testing 7-12:
Rank Car No. Driver Speed (mph)
1. 4A Jimmy Spencer 178.517
2. 6 Mark Martin 177.535
3. 19A Jeremy Mayfield 176.958
4. 38 Elliott Sadler 176.426
5. 01B Joe Nemechek 176.074
6. 2A Rusty Wallace 175.208
7. 25A Brian Vickers 175.050
8. 21A Ricky Rudd 175.030
9. 16 Greg Biffle 174.877
10. 41 Casey Mears 174.862
11. 10A Scott Riggs 174.737
12. 60 Jason Leffler 174.621
13. 9B Kasey Kahne 174.603
14. 99 Jeff Burton 174.582
15. 24A Jeff Gordon 174.566
16. 23 Tony Raines 174.090
17. 22 Scott Wimmer 173.833
18. 49 Ken Schrader 173.131
19. 77B Brendan Gaughan 173.029
20. 98 Todd Bodine 172.601
21. 14 Larry Foyt 167.101
22. 72 Kirk Shelmerdine 158.581
(Morgan-McClure PR)(7-13-2004)

redriderbob