Daytona Testing: Part Deux

 

Second round of Nextel Cup testing at Daytona begins today
By Greg Engle - Cup Scene Daily

Here we go again.

Round two of NASCAR Nextel Cup testing kicks off Monday morning and while there is a new crop of drivers/teams, the same storylines from last week still linger while new ones will be floating around.

Drivers expected to test this week are: Joe Nemechek, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Green, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, Sterling Marlin, J.J. Yeley, Dave Blaney, Brian Vickers, Jamie McMurray, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, Casey Mears, Kyle Petty, Brent Sherman, Michael Waltrip, Carl Edwards, Paul Tracy/Robby Gordon, Travis Kvapil, Scott Riggs, Dale Jarrett and Mike Wallace.

There will again be new team/driver combinations here this week who will concentrate less on speed perhaps and more on learning how to work together.

Another band of rookies will be taking their first laps in a Nextel Cup car at Daytona and will again be trying to make a strong statement.

The highlight of the week may very well come on Thursday however. After the normal testing sessions are done, an open test of NASCAR’s “Car of Tomorrow” will be staged. The test is open to all teams and might provide the first real feedback on the cars as they run in drafting packs for the very first time; that is providing teams actually show up. Last weeks solo car test was also open to teams but none chose to test their own version of the COT. Right now NASCAR is saying there will be between five and eight teams.

Kurt Busch will emerge from hiding. Although he did test with his new Penske Racing team last week at Atlanta, there are a lot more media hounds at Daytona. And after Busch’s off track adventures last season, including the contract dispute that ultimately allowed him into the ride being vacated by retiring Rusty Wallace and his off track run-in with the Maricopa County Arizona Sheriff’s department that led to his early dismissal at Roush Racing, Busch may have an uncomfortable three days.

Busch will face the media Wednesday afternoon, and no doubt his seat on the stage will be mighty warm.

Michael Waltrip will be making his first appearance with his new Bill Davis Racing team, while Mark Martin will be making his last.

Waltrip is a Daytona 500 winner and may be the key this year to Bill Davis Racing making another appearance in victory lane at Daytona and elsewhere.

For Martin, who was to retire last year but opted to run one more season after Kurt Busch bailed, this will be the start of not only his final season, but an ‘all or nothing’ drive as he will take one more shot at the elusive championship that has fallen just out of his reach on several occasions. Martin has already made a strong statement here, turning the fastest lap in truck testing over the weekend. His most immediate goal will be scoring a win in the Daytona 500; a feat he’s never accomplished.

Two of the hottest drivers from last year will be here, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch. Edwards had a phenomenal rookie season making the cutoff for the Chase for the Cup and finishing third in the points for Roush Racing. Busch was the Rookie of the Year; both will be looking to get a head start on their sophomore seasons.

The stories will be flying and so will the primer gray cars again as the second round of testing continues through Wednesday.