Jan 19 2009
NASCAR driver hits 218 in testing
(By Greg Engle, NASCAR Today)
NASCAR has instituted a suspension on testing at its sanctioned tracks.
This move has forced drivers to look elsewhere to get laps in. One of those is Greg Biffle who drives for Roush-Fenway Racing. Biffle tested last week at Texas World Speedway a 2-mile superspeedway located in College Station.
Biffle talked about the test this past weekend at Daytona International speedway.
“Very fast,” Biffle said. “A little bit bumpy, which is to be expected of a racetrack that the pavement is that old. But just very fast place. It’s kind of a fun racetrack.”
“But our cars today are probably pretty dang fast for a racetrack like that, fastest I’ve been in a race car before, 218 miles an hour yesterday at Texas World Speedway. That’s getting her done, if you want to say,” he added. “195 mile an hour average, so it was a pretty fast place.”
But many teams are admitting that one thing that’s hampering them is the lack of tires. Goodyear normally supplies the tires to teams that will be used to race at the track they test at. However with the restrictions in place teams aren’t testing at tracks they will race on and to some there’s just no point to it.
“You know, I am in agreement that in desperate times, in difficult times, you have to make difficult decisions,” said driver Jeff Burton. “But we don’t have a testing ban; we have a testing restriction. You know, so teams are still testing.”
“Rockingham is a place that a lot of people have paid attention to, the short track and the big track; Texas World has made an announcement a couple weeks ago they were going to update their facility to try to make it so people could use it,” he added. “And if those things happen, people will use them. I don’t fault a car owner for doing that. The rule doesn’t say you can’t do it, so the rule doesn’t say you can’t do it, if you think it’s going to make you better, that’s what you need to do.”
