Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite, in action during NASCAR Testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway on January 18, 2013
Photo – Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
So far, the 2013 season has produced two Sprint Cup Series races on two entirely different tracks and this weekend the teams are in Las Vegas, with yet another different type of track for the drivers. Daytona is a super speedway and Phoenix is considered a one-mile short track.
But the most widely raced track on the Sprint Cup circuit is the 1.5-mile intermediate track, and that’s what drivers will race for the first time this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with their new generation six cars. Although it’s not their first Gen6 test on a 1.5-mile track, Las Vegas does represent their first full race on an intermediate venue.
How important is the extra test time scheduled for Thursday?
“Without a doubt the 1.5, two-mile tracks can make your entire season. That test day is going to be huge,” said Steve Letarte, crew chief of the No. 88 driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished in the top-ten in every 1.5- and two-mile race he ran in 2012. “As a crew chief, you are trying to figure out what area you should be working in.”
Rodney Childers, who oversees the No. 55 Toyota that Mark Martin put on the pole a week ago at Phoenix, agrees.
“With it being an intermediate track and a place that’s really fast, the aero part becomes the biggest thing that you fight and I think everybody in the garage needs to learn a little bit [more] about this new car and where the splitter needs to be compared to the race track,” Childers said.
Although teams tested the Gen6 car in Charlotte, also a 1.5-mile track, in January, there are some differences presented to drivers for their test at Las Vegas. The most obvious difference being weather conditions. But there’s more for drivers to consider as well.
“Since then, a lot of different parts have become available with the new, cambered rear-end housings and stuff like that, so we’re trying to maximize all the areas that we’ve been given to play in,” said Todd Parrott, crew chief for the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford of Aric Almirola.
“I think the challenge is just find the balance. We had that last year with all the different things we were able to do. I think getting that balance back for the driver and what he was feeling is the most challenging part.”
With the first two races, fans have seen parity between the different manufacturers so far. A Chevy won the Daytona 500 and in Phoenix it was Ford crossing the finish line first. But right behind Carl Edwards in Phoenix were Jimmie Johnson in a Chevrolet and Denny Hamlin running a Toyota.
Fans have high expectations for improvements in racing on the 1.5-mile tracks after what some consider less than exciting races the past few years. The generation six car has raised fan expectations for the Kobalt Tools 400 race in Las Vegas and they hope to see more passing throughout the race versus the last few laps to the finish line.
In addition to the challenges teams face with leaning all they can in their practice session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, fans will be challenged to keep their expectations realistic, understanding that teams are still in the early stages of their learning curve with a new car.
On the other hand, who knows, perhaps Thursday’s test session will produce some key learning for teams that will in turn produce some of the best racing so far this season. If that happens, it will be a big deal giving fans hope for some exciting racing for the 2013 season.
