55 NASCAR Drivers Scheduled For Las Vegas Preseason Test

Teams will be testing in preparation for the March 11th UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup race.

Photo: lvms.com

LAS VEGAS - NASCAR's greatest drivers are about to get their first look at the sport's newest race track.

A record 55 drivers are scheduled to take part in NASCAR Preseason Thunder Las Vegas on Monday, Jan. 29th and Tuesday, Jan. 30th.

For most of those drivers, it will be their look at Las Vegas Motor Speedway's new 20-degree banking.

Race fans will be allowed to watch the test from the grandstands free of charge each day.

"It's a totally different race track than what it was before," said Kyle Busch, who is one of the few drivers who have tested on the new surface.

"It’s fast and it’s challenging. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun to race on. It will be interesting to see how the test session goes."

Busch and Greg Biffle completed a Goodyear tire test in December and unofficially turned speeds almost 15 miles per hour faster than Kasey Kahne’s track record of 174.904 miles per hour set in 2004.

Jeremy Mayfield and David Reutimann, who both competed in the September NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event on the new surface, are the only other Cup drivers who have turned competitive laps since the re-banking.

Kurt Busch took the first laps around the new surface last August in a Richard Petty Driving Experience car.

Teams will be testing in preparation for the March 11th UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup race.

NASCAR Busch Series teams are scheduled to test Monday, Feb. 5th and Tuesday, Feb. 6th in preparation for the March 10th Sam’s Town 300.

The complete list of teams who have filed testing vouchers for next week is listed below.

Car - Driver - Race Team

00 David Reutimann MWI

01 Mark Martin Ginn Racing

02 Brandon Ash Ash Racing

07 Clint Bowyer RCR

1 Martin Truex Jr. DEI

2 Kurt Busch Penske Racing

4 Ward Burton Morgan-McClure

5 Kyle Busch Hendrick Motorsports

6 David Ragan Roush Racing

7 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports

8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. DEI

9 Kasey Kahne Evernham Motorsports

10 Scott Riggs Evernham Motorsports

11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing

12 Ryan Newman Penske Racing

13 Joe Nemechek Ginn Racing

14 Sterling Marlin Ginn Racing

15 Paul Menard DEI

16 Greg Biffle Roush Racing

17 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing

18 J.J. Yeley Joe Gibbs Racing

19 Elliott Sadler Evernham Motorsports

20 Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs Racing

21 Ken Schrader Wood Brothers Racing

22 Dave Blaney Bill Davis Racing

23 Mike Skinner

24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports

25 Casey Mears Hendrick Motorsports

26 Jamie McMurray Roush Racing

29 Kevin Harvick RCR

31 Jeff Burton RCR

34 Kevin Lepage Front Row Racing

36 Jeremy Mayfield Bill Davis Racing

37 Bill Elliott Front Row Racing

38 David Gilliland Robert Yates Racing

39 Regan Smith Ginn Racing

40 David Stremme Ganassi Racing

41 Reed Sorenson Ganassi Racing

42 Juan Pablo Montoya Ganassi Racing

43 Bobby Labonte Petty Enterprises

44 Dale Jarrett MWI

45 Kyle Petty Petty Enterprises

47 Jon Wood Wood Brothers Racing

48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports

49 Mike Bliss BAM Racing

55 Michael Watrip MWI

66 Jeff Green Haas-CNC Racing

70 Johnny Sauter Haas-CNC Racing

72 Brandon Whitt CJM Racing

80 Aric Almirola Joe Gibbs Racing

83 Brian Vickers Team Red Bull

84 A.J. Allmendinger Team Red Bull

88 Ricky Rudd Robert Yates Racing

96 Tony Raines Hall of Fame Racing

99 Carl Edwards Roush Racing

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