Another Defeat for NASCAR’s Testing Policy
Official NEXTEL Cup testing is limited to six tracks for the 2006 season, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Earlier this month the #99 of Carl Edwards and #2 Dodge of Kurt Busch completed “tire testing” for Goodyear at Atlanta Motor Speedway a non-approved venue for testing.
The well publicized testing policy has once again been compromised by Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Bobby Labonte after both tested at Texas Motor Speedway, again under the ruse of a “special two day test” for Goodyear.
First the snarky question: Did these four drivers and their respective teams have to lease the tires provided?
But more importantly just how much of an edge does this give those four drivers over the rest of the field?
Loopholes, loopholes, everywhere you turn you find loopholes. And the simple solution? Put retired drivers under contract to both NASCAR and Goodyear to conduct these tests.
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Does the percieved advantage go to the driver or the team? The driver knows the track and his car from other tests, the advantage goes to the team on how to set up the car at that track. My point is, whether using a retired driver or current racer, NASCAR would still have to use a current team to test tires, so the edge would still go to the team.
Just more inconsistencies from your boy Brian!!
Nah, I don’t see it that way. These are allegedly “tire tests” and shouldn’t benefit anyone but Goodyear and possibly NASCAR itself.
Conduct them with a generic and under contract driver with a NASCAR owned car that is up to date with the current rules. (If that’s possible!) At the end of the test no one gets the data except GY.
I’m still waiting for the first test done by a team on a track not listed as “approved” by NASCAR and conducted using ARCA approved Hoosier radials.
I’m betting it will be a Hendrick’s team and will happen between the 3rd and fourth event of the year.