Thursday, March 12, 2009

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=

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

JJ doing a tire test at Lowes Motor Speedway. Sounds like a conspiracy to me.

Anonymous said...

What day or days is the tire test?

Anonymous said...

Once again NASCAR makes a really great decision. The idea of JJ doing a tire test at Lowe's is ludicrous. I realize JJ hasn’t won yet and NASCAR wants him to win so they can continue to ride his back. It seems really questionable how they pick drivers for tire tests. That is like Jeff Gordon doing a tire test at the Old Darlington. NASCAR has got to start realizing that we "fans" are really not stupid idiots. We all see what they do. I would respect them more if they just said" We need JJ to win so we are going to let him tire test because he has struggled all year. We can not have a 3 time champ looking so bad on the track" Once again we as fans have one more issue to distrust NASCAR.

Unknown said...

It's Tuesday and Wednesday. My bad. I fixed it.

Anonymous said...

Who is likely to be a better judge of how tires should function at Charlotte than JJ?

JJ doing a tire test at Charlotte doesn't seem nearly as curious as no one in the media writing anything about the fact that 3 of the very largest auto dealers in the USA are involved in NASCAR (Penske, Hendrick, and BSmith) and how the economy is affecting them and whether any of the problems in the auto industry might be affecting their participation in NASCAR.

Anonymous said...

BACK TO 6 THINGS WEVE LEARNED THIS SEASON.
1.DALE JUNIOR DIDN'T WIN DAYTONA.
2.JEFF GORDON DIDNT WIN CALIFORNIA.
3.JUMMIE JOHNSON DIDN'T WIN VEGAS.
4.MARK MARTIN DIDN'T WIN ATLANTA.
5.TONY STEWART HASN'T WON.
6.CHEVY HASN'T WON.
LETS MAKE IT 7 THINGS WEVE LEARNED.
7.IT'S BEEN A GOOD SEASON.

Anonymous said...

After seeing Mr.Poole on youtube??
I think I'll just make a donation and not put myself in the running to win.

Anonymous said...

Maybe the idiots at Goodyear would see the benefit of Tony Stewart as one of the testers; but no, stupidity and arrogance reigns.

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