Pre Season Testing at Daytona Wraps up for NAPA Team

January 14, 2005

Daytona Beach, Florida (Jan. 14) - After three days, the first round of
preseason testing (reserved for teams which finished odd in the owner's
points standings) is complete. In the cumulative speed charts over the
full three days Michael Waltrip's No. 15 NAPA Chevy was 12th fastest out
of 48 cars. 

 

"The NAPA Chevy is running great," said Waltrip, a two time Daytona 500
champion. "Basically testing with a team like Dale Earnhardt Inc. is all
about gathering as much information as you can. We are trying to put as
many runs into the computer as we possibly can then take that
information back to evaluate and analyze it. Never yet have we failed to
come back with a faster car when it is time for the real thing."

 

At preseason testing the rules differ significantly than a normal
practice on race weekend. Teams are allowed to use computers onboard
their cars, as evident by the thin metal tube rising up from the roof of
the NAPA Chevy, and pointing forward for on-board weather and data
collection. Teams are also not required to go through NASCAR tech before
running on the track. 

 

"We are as good as the guys ahead of us," said new crew chief Tony Eury
Jr. "Chassis A, the car Junior (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) won Talladega in,
was right up there, but our new car, Chassis B, was definitely faster by
about a tenth and a half."

 

One of the biggest questions of the three-day test session was how the
communication would be between new crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and Michael
Waltrip in their first time at track together. By the end the three days
there was little doubt that they were off to the right start.

 

"We are really having a good time with our new crew," said Waltrip.
"Tony Eury Jr. has just been a real pleasure to work with. It has been a
pretty special feeling to team up with a bunch of guys who have just
finished competing for a championship and winning six races last year. I
have never really shown up at a job where the guys have had so much
success the year before. It's really exciting."

 

On Thursday, the final day of practice, the morning session was rained
out leaving Waltrip with enough time to squeeze in a seven mile run
around the track in preparation for his marathon coming up on the 30th
of this month. The afternoon "draft session" started late at 2:00 pm and
ran into the evening under the lights. Waltrip's teammate Dale Earnhardt
Jr. placed 20th on the cumulative speed chart.

 

For the NAPA Team, it is on to Kentucky Speedway Jan 19th before heading
out to Las Vegas Motor Speedway and California Speedway Feb 1st for a
double test session on the west coast.