Pre-Season testing at Daytona in January

Daytona International Speedway's new racing surface will receive its NASCAR christening next January, during a three-day NASCAR Sprint Cup Series test. The session, known as NASCAR Preseason Thunder, is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 20 through Saturday, Jan. 22. Sunday, Jan. 23 is the rain date. The 2011 edition of NASCAR Preseason Thunder will help teams acclimate to the new pavement, plus speed their preparation for the 53rd Daytona 500 on Feb. 20 – the series' traditional season-opener. The repaving project – only the second in track history and first since 1978 – began immediately after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event on July 3. All NASCAR Preseason Thunder sessions begin at 9:00am/et and end at 5:00 pm/et, weather permitting. Each includes a lunch break from noon until 1:00pm/et.

Fans seeking to attend can do so at the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest at Daytona – the companion event to the January test. Along with watching NASCAR Preseason Thunder track activity from Daytona's Sprint FANZONE, fans can enjoy two Fan Fest sessions – from 5-9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 21 and from 5-7 p.m., on Saturday, Jan. 22. Driver question-and-answer and autograph sessions are planned. Tickets for the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest are $20. Fans also can watch each day's testing at no cost from a section of the Oldfield Grandstands. Teams from the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series are expected to receive extra practice time during Speedweeks to get acclimated to the track's new surface.

Tickets for both the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fests and the Roar Before The Rolex 24 are available online at daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.