January 18

The second round of Nextel Cup testing and the third round of testing at Daytona International Speedway kicks off this morning led by former NASCAR Cup series champions Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte and Rusty Wallace, along with two-time series runner-up Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin.

More than 30 Craftsman Truck Series teams that were rained out of Saturday's opening day of their scheduled two-day test concluded testing Monday .

Matt Kenseth, right, and Jimmie Johnson are set for Daytona testing. (Terry Renna, AP)

Odd-numbered finishers in the points standings tested last week. Even-numbered finishers are testing this week.

For Martin and Wallace -- who have announced 2005 will be their final full-time season in Nextel Cup this session will be their last.

Defending Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr. will also test as he prepares for his first run at the Daytona 500, in a No. 1 Dale Earnhardt Incorporated Chevrolet led by crew chief Mike Greci.

Twenty-six Nextel Cup teams kicked off NASCAR's pre-season testing last week at Daytona and former three-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Jarrett set the bar that this week's teams will shoot for.

The restrictor plate with openings that allow a fuel and air mixture to enter the engine's intake manifold that are 1/64th of an inch smaller than the 29/32nds-inch holes used a year ago, speeds have been slower.

Ricky Rudd turned the fast lap in January 2004 -- when 46 Cup drivers tested -- at 47.753 seconds, an average speed of 188.470 mph in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford. Jarrett's best lap last week was in 48.269 seconds, 186.455 mph, in his No. 88 Robert Yates Racing Ford.

Jeff Gordon's No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was second-quickest with a lap in 48.456 / 185.736. Eight Dodge teams debuted the manufacturer's new Charger model and Jeremy Mayfield, who posted the sixth fastest lap, 48.656 / 184.972, was best.

The only negative comments last week concerned the cars' traffic patterns within the garages while entering and exiting the racetrack

Johnson, who won eight races last year — including four in the first Chase for the Nextel Cup, NASCAR's playoff-style championship run — finished eight points behind 2004 champion Kurt Busch.

While most drivers at these two Cup tests are getting on track for the first time in the new year, Johnson was one of eight Nextel Cup drivers 05 that shook some rust off two weekends ago during a Grand-American Rolex Sports Car Series test for the upcoming Rolex 24.

Johnson and Kahne also participated in a Goodyear tire test last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

"Last year I thought of it that way, when I got back in the car and started working on a little bit of hand-eye coordination," said Johnson, who also raced the Crawford sports car last year. "I've gotten my fitness training started a little bit earlier so I felt like it was a good way to get my season jump-started.

"Plus, we all love racing, and it's fun to come down here without the corporate obligations that we have -- to just come down here and race and have some fun with a lot of great people and world class drivers that you don't have a chance to meet and see, otherwise."

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But Johnson said there was no question that getting back into his No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet -- with which he's finished second in the Cup standings the last two years -- had the bulk of his attention.

"I'm definitely excited to get into the heart of the season," Johnson said. "The way the season plays out now, you've really got to focus on being in the final 10, so that's our first goal.

"At Daytona, our restrictor-plate program has been really good and we've been very close (to winning) so I'm fired up to get our car on the track and get some laps on it and to start working on it before (Speedweeks).

"But as far as the season, I just hope that we're able to come out smooth and get ourselves in the top 10 and kind of ride from there and then pour it on at the end."

Dave Blaney, who moves into the No. 07 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, and Robby Gordon, who just finished the two-week Dakar Rally in 12th, also will run during the three-day test.

Blaney talked yesterday about the difference between goals for the Daytona Test and goals for the Daytona 500:

“Conditions are so much different. You do most of your testing in a one or two lap format for qualifying. We’ll try little things on the car like small body tweaks, little alignment things or some different engines things where you can find speed. That’s where we’ll start and use what we learn all month. It becomes a matter of fine tuning what we have and making the most out of it. That’s about all you can do. You’re definitely not going to pull a rabbit out of the hat. If you’re a little bit off when you get there, most of the time, you’re going to stay that way.”

Dale Jarrett's best lap last week was in 48.269 seconds, 186.455 mph, in his No. 88 Robert Yates Racing Ford

Gordon, who parted ways with Richard Childress Racing after the 2004 season, plans to announce his Cup sponsorship plans Today.

Blaney will test a pair of chassis from the Childress stable. Chassis No. 119 is the same car Gordon drove in all four restrictor-plate races last season, recording finishes of 35th and 19th at Daytona and coming home fifth and ninth at Talladega. Chassis No. 133 is a new superspeedway car.

Teammate Jeff Burton, who was in Mexico City last week testing for the March 7 Busch Series road-course race, also will be testing two chassis — one of them new.

This week's group will be the latest to sample Daytona's new Cup garage area.

The only negative comments last week concerned the cars' traffic patterns within the garages while entering and exiting the racetrack and the number of bathrooms for competitors.

The 44 new, enclosed garages that have picture windows in their back walls to allow spectators to observe and a pass-through window to request autographs were generally well accepted.

"It's kind of tough when you're working and there are a bunch of people staring at you -- you kind of feel like a monkey at the zoo," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said, voicing an opinion expressed by some drivers. "It's really nice, though. I've always felt kind of uncomfortable with people watching me do anything, but I guess I'll have to get used to it."

One of the busiest drivers at the second Cup test will be Kerry Earnhardt testing for Richard Childress Racing teammate Kevin Harvick. Earnhardt also tested last week when he piloted the No. 33 Chevrolet that he'll attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 in.

The things to watch in round two testing:

How will the DEI car of Martin Truex Jr. perform?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't test all that well last week and admitted he doesn't expect to be a threat for the Daytona 500 pole.

"I'm pretty happy," he said. "I anticipated that we might struggle a little bit in qualifying. I think we'll draft fine and race well.

"I thought that we might not qualify well, but we might. Still a long way to go. We really don't have the car tied down or in the proper trim. We've got a lot of tape on the grill, but that didn't seem to do much. When you tape the grill off, a lot of the air that you keep from going in the radiator goes over the roof and hit the blades so, you get slowed down by that air one way or another.

"But I'm pretty happy. From the look of the cars we have together I'm happy. The craftsmanship is really good. I'll know what kind of team we have after we get done with this and then go to California and Las Vegas."

How will the cars perform in the colder weather?

Last weeks temperatures here were absolutely balmy.

The humidity was up and the high each day was in the mid 80's

Today's temps are expected to be in the mid 50's with almost no humidity, so higher speeds should be the order of the day.

How will Robby Gordon perform?

Robby Gordon completed the Dakar Rally just 48 hours ago, now he's traveled half-way around the world to be here, could fatigue be a factor?

He sure won't be a no-show as Tony Stewart was last week, since Gordon has scheduled a sponsor announcement for early this afternoon.

Cars will be on the track from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting, with an hour-long break for lunch. This round of testing runs through Thursday.

Fans can watch for free from the Oldfield Grandstands in Turn 4 behind Daytona USA, or pay $15 Wednesday for a closer view at FanFest, which is held in the new FanZone area of the infield.

SPEED TV will air one-hour shows each day at 7 p.m. ET, covering the day's events.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Wraps Up Two-Day Test Session
January 18

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wrapped up a two-day test session yesterday in preparation for the season-opening Florida Dodge Dealers 250 on Friday night, Feb. 18 at Daytona.

A long spin and a two-car tangle were the only mishaps.

Brendan Gaughan spun out, and Steve Park and Chad Chaffin made contact in incidents less damaging than the one Sunday involving Terry Cook, Jack Sprague and Ted Musgrave.

"There are some people out here that want to win practice and will go to any extreme to win," Rick Crawford said. "You might view this as race conditions, but this is not a race, and some people were out there racing."

David Starr was fastest on the final day of Truck Series testing with a speed of 187.594 mph. He was followed by Ron Hornaday (187.278) and Kerry Earnhardt (187.025).

The biggest mistake Ted Musgrave must avoid entering next month's Daytona Speed Weeks is climbing into the wrong truck. Musgrave, a high-profile competitor in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Ultra Motorsports since 2001, has swapped rides in 2005. The 15-time winner has vacated the No. 1 Mopar Dodge, which carried 49-year-old Musgrave to four consecutive finishes among the top three in championship standings.

New Ultra driver Jimmy Spencer goes into the Mopar truck while Musgrave takes a seat in what was an all-star entry for much of 2004 — winding up in victory circle at Martinsville Speedway with Jamie McMurray and Darlington Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway with Kasey Kahne.

So far anyway, the change in numbers hasn't rattled Musgrave.

"I've practiced that in the shop. I haven't made a mistake yet," said Musgrave, the 2002 Bud Pole winner at Daytona International Speedway, host of the Feb. 18 Florida Dodge Dealers 250. "but after four years, it'll be a little different."

Musgrave, who takes crew chief Gene Nead to the No. 2 Dodge, believes the move will provide a valuable one-two punch for Ultra owner Jimmy Smith — the only owner with starts in all 242 series races and victories in each of the first 10 seasons of NASCAR Craftsman Truck competition.

"We're both going to be contending for the win and we figure to have two trucks up front all the time," he said.

Musgrave, who competed against his new teammate on the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for many years, just smiles when asked about racing with and alongside Spencer.

"I can't add anything else to what's already been said about Jimmy," said Musgrave.

Spencer, winner of the 2003 series race at New Hampshire International Speedway — in the No. 2 Dodge — rejoins Smith, for whom he drove in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in 2003.

And the Pennsylvanian couldn't be happier.

"The sport's really evolved and it's great to be driving something that you can win in," said Spencer, who'll celebrate his 46th birthday next month. "Ted and I will have the opportunity to win every week. That's what it's all about."

While Spencer knew about the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series since its beginnings 10 years ago he never gave it much thought — until recently.

"It didn't take off originally but talk to the fans now," said Spencer, a two-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion. "They like it as well as any series. I'm just proud to be a part of it.

"It's what I've always enjoyed about NASCAR — intense, side by side racing. Every time you watch the trucks you know the race is going to go right down to the end. It makes my blood rush just knowing I can be in there."

Spencer would like nothing better than to give owner Smith his first title. Smith, owner of a custom wheel manufacturing business, is one of four off-road racers who brought the truck racing concept to NASCAR in 1994.

"He hasn't won the championship but he's been close," said Spencer of his owner, who finished runnerup with Musgrave in 2001. "It really would be cool if we could win the championship for him."