Tire test next week at Lowe's

Tire testing, the only kind of testing that's allowed this season, comes to Lowe's Motor Speedway next week.

Kasey Kahne, who won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600 last May, will be joined at the test by Jimmie Johnson, Marcos Ambrose and Paul Menard. They're scheduled to be on track Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. until noon and from1 to 5 p.m. each day.

The track will open its frontstretch grandstand free to race fans each day. Spectators should enter through Gate 5A next to the main ticket offic.

Fans who already have tickets to this year's all-star race and Coca-Cola 600 will have access to an infield grandstand on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and can participate in a fan forum featuring all four drivers from 12 - 1 p.m. Ticket holders will need to check in at the speedway's ticket office to receive verification of their ticket purchase before entering the infield at Gate 26.

'Tire chaser' issues statement: I asked the folks at Michael Waltrip Racing if Jimmy Watts, who was suspended for four races for chasing a tire into the infield at Atlanta, wanted to talk about how he feels about the aftermath of that incident.

The team declined, saying it and Watts want to move on. But in response to my request and requests from other reporters, Watts issued a brief statement Thursday through the team.

"To go after the tire was a quick reaction and obviously the wrong decision," Watts said. "I want to apologize to my team, my competitors and to NASCAR.

"Everything happens so fast on pit road that I just didn't realize how far I had gone out until I grabbed the tire. I put myself in jeopardy and I know how hard NASCAR works to make the pit crew members safe on pit road. I stand by their decision and will serve my four-race suspension."

More for the "Reality Tour:" The race shop tour I am offering for the Monday after the all-star race as part of the NASCAR Foundation/Motor Racing Outreach online auction for Pennies for Wessa keeps getting better.

Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, has offered to allow the winning bidder and myself to start the tour with lunch at the track's Speedway Club. Better yet, he says we can take one of the track's pace cars on the tour. That means we won't have to cross our fingers that my personal bucket of bolts can complete the trip.

There's a direct link to the item available now. It's a long link, so hopefully you can just click and go. Here it is:
http://auctions.nascar.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=103194866&prmenbr=63306014&aunbr=103541576&topPic=&MoreSubs=