SPEEDWAY, IN. (July 18)- - Jeff Gordon
took to the track at Indianapolis
Motor Speedway for a two day test session
on July 16-17 in preparation for the Brickyard 400 on August 5.
The winner of the Brickyard 400 has gone on to win the Winston Cup title
the past three seasons. During the test session, Gordon
turned the second fastest lap touring the 2.5-mile track at an
average speed of 176.481. Due to new NASCAR rules eliminating
bump stops and other aerodynamic advantages, it's unlikely that
the track qualifying record of 181+ miles per hour will be challenged
when qualifying gets underway on August 3.
Gordon won the event in 1994 and 1998 and looks to become the first three-time
stock car winner at the Brickyard. He’s also won three
poles at the race. His earnings in seven Brickyard
races total $3,276,076. "It’s been a very special place,"
said Gordon, who spent his formative racing years living
in nearby Pittsboro, Indiana. "Just to come here and be
able to be a part of the inaugural Brickyard 400, that
was all my dreams come true."
In the midst of a
championship battle with Dale Jarrett and Ricky Rudd,
Gordon is in a much better position than he was when
he came to the Brickyard in 2000. "We were not on top
of our game," he said. "This year, we’re on top of our
game." One thing Gordon isn’t considering doing, at
least at this time, is a Memorial Day double of the
Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at
Lowe’s Motor Speedway as another Indiana racer, Tony
Stewart, did for the second time May 27. "I never rule
out anything," he said. "I don’t think it’s going to
happen as long as I’m competing full time in a Winston
Cup car, as long as the schedule is the way it is and
the commitments I have to make for my sponsors. I’m
very committed to NASCAR. I own part of my race
team now. There is so much going on in the business
side of things as well as driving the race car, it just
takes up any spare time that I have. I’m the kind of
person who if I’m going to do something, I’m going to dedicate the proper
amount of time I think it takes to do it and do it right. And I just don’t see
that happening while I’m running a full season of Winston Cup."
Twenty-five cars took to the track for the two-day test session.
The other half of the Winston Cup field, assigned based on car owner points
as of June 15, is scheduled to test at the track on July 24-25.
Jeff Gordon drove a primer blue car with red flames and a yellow "24"
on the door and roof, which was his regular scheme devoid of
all sponsor decals. Gordon's fastest lap of the day came when a thin
cloud cover enveloped the track. "This place is real temperature-sensitive,"
Gordon said. "It makes a difference. It's the same for everybody."
Fastest laps: (speeds from IMS PR)
Monday, July 16
Fastest laps: (speeds from IMS PR)
Brickyard Testing Photos:
+Heading onto the track | +From the right side | +Into turn one
+Wearing the HANS device | +On the warm-up lane
Tuesday, July 17
Jimmy Spencer-177.560, Jeff Gordon-176.481,
Dale Earnhardt Jr-175.425, Jeff Green-175.281, Jason Leffler-174.835,
Joe Nemechek-174.835, John Andretti-174.778, Mark Martin-174.700,
Todd Bodine-174.463, Ricky Craven-174.408, Ward Burton-174.314,
Jerry Nadeau-174.095, Rusty Wallace-173.940, Rick Mast-173.314,
Brett Bodine-173.267, Terry Labonte-173.220, Ron Hornaday-172.977,
Hermie Sadler-171.749, Mike Bliss-171.602, Andy Hillenburg-171.595,
Sterling Marlin-170.694, Steve Park-170.145, Kurt Busch-170.142,
Jeff Burton-169.591, Mark Green-167.193
Todd Bodine-176.229, Steve Park-175.833, Jeff Gordon-175.227,
Jeff Burton-174.740, Sterling Marlin-174.122, Jerry Nadeau-174.115,
Ward Burton-173.816, Jimmy Spencer-172.891, Joe Nemechek-172.612,
Terry Labonte-172.553, Andy Hillenburg-172.480, Ricky Craven-172.348,
John Andretti-171.795, Rick Mast-171.602, Jeff Green-171.595,
Mike Bliss-171.507, Dale Earnhardt Jr-171.096, Mark Martin-170.526,
Hermie Sadler-169.565, Brett Bodine-169.370, Kurt Busch-169.342,
Rusty Wallace-168.681, Jason Leffler-168.064, Ron Hornaday-167.302,
Mark Green-164.171
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