Speed Racer
aka "mach5driver"
Rookie Carl Edwards topped the speed chart on Wednesday on the first day of private Nextel Cup Series testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, posting a lap of 179.165mph in his Jack Roush Racing Ford.
Edwards was joined by a short list of testing participants: his Roush Racing teammate Kurt Busch, 1997 Brickyard 400 winner Ricky Rudd and Jimmy Spencer, who won the pole for the race in 2001.
The 2005 Indy event will be the first time a primary sponsor has been sourced and will be known as the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, rather than the traditional Brickyard 400.
Reigning Nextel Cup champion Busch was second fastest at 179.151mph; Rudd was third at 178.937mph and Spencer fourth at 178.839mph in a Ford entered by Arnold Motorsports.
The track record at Indianapolis, set in qualifying in 2004 by Casey Mears, is 186.293mph.
The 12th annual Nextel Cup race at Indianapolis will commence on August 7th.
The day was one of contrasts for Edwards. He was fastest even though he was taking his first laps at the famous 2.5-mile oval. And before his first day of testing for one of NASCAR's elite teams, his only memory of IMS came from performing the tasks of an entry-level crewmember.
"The first time and the only time I've been down here in this garage was for a test session with the Hendrick Motorsports team when I was 16 or 17, when Kenny Schrader was testing," Edwards said. "I sat right over there and polished the wheels on the hauler and just dreamed of this, so it's really cool to get to run here.
"The name of the game here (today) is getting me laps. The AAA Ford is great. I can run a lap that is really fast and one that's not good, and the only thing that changed is my driving, so I just need to get laps."
Wednesday's participant list will shorten by two, as Edwards is not scheduled to test and Spencer crashed in the Speedway's first turn.
Spencer spun in Turn 1 and backed into the SAFER Barrier at approximately 2:30 p.m. (local time), causing heavy rear-end damage to the car. Spencer was unhurt, but the team brought only one car and ended their test.
Busch and Rudd agreed that, due to the prestige of the race and the new track surface, a two-day test was essential.
"It's high on our list," Busch said of winning the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. "I believe it's the only accomplishment my crew chief, Jimmy Fennig, hasn't accomplished. That's why we're here doing a two-day test. It pays the same in points, but it's definitely very prestigious when you get to take home that trophy."
The combination of new asphalt and diamond grinding bode well for an exciting race, Rudd said.
"The track, when they grind it, it just gives us grip, and they ground it from the bottom to the top, so it makes multiple grooves for us," Rudd said. "So I think you'll see side-by-side racing as good if not better than you've seen in the past."
Private test sessions are scheduled for 11-12 July and 18-19 July. The first of those tests is set to be the busiest, with 26 drivers scheduled to participate.
Unofficial testing speeds – 5 July
1. Carl Edwards 179.165mph
2. Kurt Busch 179.151mph
3. Ricky Rudd 178.937mph
4. Jimmy Spencer 178.839mph
Edwards was joined by a short list of testing participants: his Roush Racing teammate Kurt Busch, 1997 Brickyard 400 winner Ricky Rudd and Jimmy Spencer, who won the pole for the race in 2001.
The 2005 Indy event will be the first time a primary sponsor has been sourced and will be known as the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, rather than the traditional Brickyard 400.
Reigning Nextel Cup champion Busch was second fastest at 179.151mph; Rudd was third at 178.937mph and Spencer fourth at 178.839mph in a Ford entered by Arnold Motorsports.
The track record at Indianapolis, set in qualifying in 2004 by Casey Mears, is 186.293mph.
The 12th annual Nextel Cup race at Indianapolis will commence on August 7th.
The day was one of contrasts for Edwards. He was fastest even though he was taking his first laps at the famous 2.5-mile oval. And before his first day of testing for one of NASCAR's elite teams, his only memory of IMS came from performing the tasks of an entry-level crewmember.
"The first time and the only time I've been down here in this garage was for a test session with the Hendrick Motorsports team when I was 16 or 17, when Kenny Schrader was testing," Edwards said. "I sat right over there and polished the wheels on the hauler and just dreamed of this, so it's really cool to get to run here.
"The name of the game here (today) is getting me laps. The AAA Ford is great. I can run a lap that is really fast and one that's not good, and the only thing that changed is my driving, so I just need to get laps."
Wednesday's participant list will shorten by two, as Edwards is not scheduled to test and Spencer crashed in the Speedway's first turn.
Spencer spun in Turn 1 and backed into the SAFER Barrier at approximately 2:30 p.m. (local time), causing heavy rear-end damage to the car. Spencer was unhurt, but the team brought only one car and ended their test.
Busch and Rudd agreed that, due to the prestige of the race and the new track surface, a two-day test was essential.
"It's high on our list," Busch said of winning the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. "I believe it's the only accomplishment my crew chief, Jimmy Fennig, hasn't accomplished. That's why we're here doing a two-day test. It pays the same in points, but it's definitely very prestigious when you get to take home that trophy."
The combination of new asphalt and diamond grinding bode well for an exciting race, Rudd said.
"The track, when they grind it, it just gives us grip, and they ground it from the bottom to the top, so it makes multiple grooves for us," Rudd said. "So I think you'll see side-by-side racing as good if not better than you've seen in the past."
Private test sessions are scheduled for 11-12 July and 18-19 July. The first of those tests is set to be the busiest, with 26 drivers scheduled to participate.
Unofficial testing speeds – 5 July
1. Carl Edwards 179.165mph
2. Kurt Busch 179.151mph
3. Ricky Rudd 178.937mph
4. Jimmy Spencer 178.839mph
