Testing starts Monday

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams will test at Atlanta on Monday and Tuesday, after competing in today’s Pep Boys Auto 500. It’s the series’ seventh and final NASCAR-sanctioned test of the season. More significant: It’s the first full-scale test for the new car at a 1.5-mile track. “It’s the first opportunity for everyone for be on that size race track at the same time at those speeds," said NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton. “It’s also the first opportunity for some new combinations of drivers and crew chiefs to work together."

This test will be the fourth this season dedicated to the new car (previous tests for the new car took place at Bristol Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway). Teams are phasing in the new car by running it in 16 of 36 scheduled events this year. The last of those 16 will be Nov. 11 at Phoenix International Raceway.